our Lord Rom. 8. 39. Be not therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord Iesus nor of mee his prisoner but bee partakers of the afflictions of the Gospell 2 Tim. 1. 8. As the sufferings of Christ abound in vs so our consolation abounds through Christ 1 Cor. 1. 5. Christ also suffered for vs leauing vs an example that wee should follow his steps 1 Pet. 2. 21. Whom he fore-knew he predestinated to be conformed to the Image of his Sonne Rom. 8. 29. I was hungry and ye gaue me no meate I was thirsty and yee gaue me no drinke c. Mat. 25. 43. In as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not vnto me ver 45. He that despiseth you despiseth me Luke 10. 16. Saul Saul Why persecutest thou me Act. 9. 4. Ioseph said Feare not for am not I vnder God Gen. 50. 19. Naked came I out of my Mothers wombe and naked shall I returne thither againe the Lord gaue and the Lord hath taken away and blessed be the Name of the Lord Iob. 1. 21. Shall wee receiue good at the hands of the Lord and shall wee not receiue euill In all this did not Iob sinne with his lips Iob 2. 10. But I was a man that heareth not and in whose mouth are no reproofes Psal. 38. 14. For thy sake are we killed all the day long c. Psal. 44. 22. It is good for a man that hee beare the yoke in his youth Ier. 3. 27. He sitteth alone and keepeth silence because hee hath borne it vpon him ver 28. He putteth his mouth to the dust if so bee there may be hope ver 29. Hee giueth his cheeke to him that smiteth him he is filled full with reproach Others were tortured and would not bee deliuered that they might receiue a better resurrection Heb. 11. 35. And others haue beene tryed by mockings and scourgings yea moreouer by bands and imprisonment ver 36. They were stoned they were hewen in sunder they were tempted c. verse 37 38. And they departed from the presence of the Councell reioycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his Name Act. 5. 41. Then Paul answered What meane you to weepe and to breake mine heart for I am ready not onely to be bound but to dye also at Ierusalem for the Name of the Lord Iesus Acts 21. 13. In labours more abundant in stripes aboue measure in prison more frequent in death often 2. Cor. 11 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 verses Remembring without ceasing your worke of faith and labour of loue and patience of hope in our Lord Iesus Christ 1. Thes. 13. God hath set forth vs the last Apostles as it were approued to death for wee are made a spectacle to the world and to Angels and to men 1. Cor. 4. 9. Ye endured a great fight of afflictions Heb. 10. 32. Partly while ye were made a gazing stocke both by reproches and afflictions and partly while ye became companions of them that were so vsed ver 33. I know thy workes and thy labour and thy patience Reue. 2. 2. I know thy faith and thy patience and thy workes ver 19. My bonds in Christ are manifest in that place and all other places Phil. 1. 13. And many of the brethren in the Lord waxing confident by my bonds are made more bold to speake the Word without feare Phil. 1. 14. And they cast Stephen out of the City and stoned him and the Witnesses laid downe their clothes at the young mans feet whose name was Saul Act. 1. 58. And they stoned Stephen calling vpon God and saying Lord Iesus receiue my Spirit ver 59. And he kneeled downe and cryed with a loud voice Lord lay not this sinne to their charge and when hee had said this hee fell asleepe ver 60. Sauls conuersion Act. 9. They shall lay their hands on you and persecute you deliuering you vp to their Synagogues and into prison being brought before Kings and Rulers for my Names sake Luk. 21. 12. And this shall turn to you for a testimony against them ver 13. And you shall be brought before Gouernors and Kings for my Names sake for a testimony against them and against the Gentiles Mat. 10. 18. Others had tryalls of cruell mockings and scourges yea moreouer of bonds and imprisonment Heb. 11. 36. The trying of your faith worketh patience Iam. 1. 3. Ye are in heauinesse through manifold tentations 1 Pet. 1. 6. That the triall of your faith being much more precious then Gold though it bee tryed with fire might be found vnto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Iesus Christ ver 7. Brethren account it exceeding great ioy when ye fall into diuers tentations Iam. 1. 2. I reioyce in my sufferings Col. 1. 24. Your sorrow shall bee turned into ioy 10. 16. 20. As many as I loue I rebuke and châ—sten Reu. 3. 19. Whom the Lord loueth he chasteueth and hee scourgeth euery son that he receiueth Heb. 12. 6. No chastening for the time seemeth to bee ioyous but grieuous Neuerthelesse afterwards it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse to them that are exercised thereby ver 11. He chasteneth vs for our profit that we might be partakers of his holinesse ver 10. Let patience haue her perfect worke that ye may be perfect and entire lacking nothing Iames. 1. 4. By patience ye shall inherite the promises Heb. 6. 12. By your patience possesse your soules Luke 21. 19. Because thou hast kept the world of my patience I will keepe thee from the houre of tentation Reu. 3. 10. Whosoeuer confesseth me before men I will confesse him before my Father which is in heâ—uen Luke 12. 8. Verily I say vnto you that no man that hath forsaken house or lands for my sake but he shall receiue an hundred fold and in the world to come life euerlasting Mark 10. 29. If ye suffer for righteousnesse sake blessed are ye yea feare not their feare neither be troubled 1. Pet. 3. 14. But sanctifie the Lord in your hearts ver 5. If we suffer with him wee shall also raigne with him Rom. 8. 17. The afflictions of this present life are not worthy the glory that shall be reuealed ver 18. Blessed are they that suffer for righteousnesse sake for their is the Kingdome of heauen Mat. 5. 10. THE PRAYER FOR Thursday euening consisting of Petitions sutable to the workes of redemption on this day Motiues to patience agreeable to the precedent exhortation GRacious Lord and Sauiour who this day didst eate the Passeouer and went eating in thy Supper Suppe with me in the Euening of this life and grant that I may Dine with thee in thy day of eternitie Gracious Redeemer who this day gauest thy selfe to me in the Sacrament first instituted by thee and
Ancilla Pietatis OR THE HAND-MAID to Priuate DEVOTION Presenting a Manuell to furnish her with Necessary Principles of Faith Forcible Motiues to a holy life Vsefull Formes of Hymnes and Prayers fitted to The Christian Feasts and Fasts The Weeks of the yeere The daies of the Weeke Christus fide concipitur confessione nascitur deuotione tenetur S. Leo. By Daniel Featly D. Diuinity At London printed for Nicholas Bourne Anno Domini 1626 Then another Angel Re Watch yee in Faith and Hope and A the serpent was lif Io 3.14 Loo y 3 starre Matt 2.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk 2.11 There apeared 〈…〉 Why stand ye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts â—â—â—… 〈…〉 Mat 28. â—… Deuotion Handmaid 〈…〉 in Christo Patris 〈…〉 Coll. Emman Cantab. TO THE RIGHT Noble and Religious Lady the Dutchesse of Buckingam her GRACE May it please your Grace SAint Ierome in a Funerall Oration strewing flowers vppon the hearst of Fabiola said coÌ„cerning her VVee haue lost a most pretious iewell out of the Church But since your happy departure from the Romish Synagogue and repairing to our true reformed Church wee may say on the contrary in regard of you We haue gained a most pretious Iewell to the Church Such lowlinesse of minde in such height of fortunes such Deuotion in such distractions such constancy in such temptations wee blesse God for in you wee pray God for in others of your Sexe and ranke If to touch vpon your modesty were not to wound it and to relate your continuall practise of Deuotion were not to interrupt it I should speake much of it yet no more then they know to bee most true who are neerest to you when you draw neere to your Father in secret But because it is not the least of your praises that you cannot endure praise and there are many in England not onely in Africa who are bewitched by flattery I will drawe a veile before those eminent parts which my pensill cannot expresse And therfore ceasing farther to blazon your vertues I humblie craue leaue of you to preferre vnto you a seruant to attend you in your closet I meane THE HAND-MAID TO PRIVATE DEVOTION who vpon her knee tenders to your Grace some helpes to your Deuotion together with the Deuotion and prayers of the Author to God for you to crowne you with the blessings of this life and the blessednesse of the life to come Your Graces humbly deuoted DANIEL FEATLY THE PREFACE to the Reader CHRISTIAN READER IN the late dreadfull Visitation when the waies of Sion mourned because none passed by them and the gates of the Sanctuary lamented because almost none entred at them Religion her selfe for the most forbearing the Church and keeping her closet and there finding sufficient employment to complaine of bewaile the danger and desolation of her solemnest assemblies I fell into a serious consideration of the vse and most vrgent necessity of PRIVATE DEVOTION And to the end I might accord with my brethren in their groanes and cries being smitten my selfe with a dangerous though not infectious disease I gaue ouer those waters of strife wherein I had met with the Romish Fisher intangled in his owne Net and sought after the waters of Shiloah that runne softly which at that season farre better relished with me then the other Not that I altered my iudgement touching the studie of controuersies which without all controuersie is not onely most needefull but delightfull also to them that are therein exercised It is an easie taske and almost euery ones labour now a dayes to gather flowers of Paradice and make Posies or Garlands of them for Christ's Spouse But it is not for euery hand to meddle with those thornie difficulties which yet must be carefully handled by them who will make a strong hedge or sure fence for the Lord's Vineyard The more perplexed and intricate the difficulty is the greater is the contentment in beating out the truth in points of no lesse consequence then difference Children are not so much delighted with smiting flints one against the other to see the sparcles as meÌ„ of rational vnderstaÌ„ding discourse by collision of contrary arguments to strike out the fire of diuine Truth And this fire as well as that other which the naturall heate of Deuotion kindleth yeeldeth much warmth to the conscience euen of a dying man Witnesse Oecolampadius whose last words were these Now I goe cheerefully to the tribunall of Christ where it shall appeare that I haue not seduced God's people but haue sincerely taught the truth of God I might instance likewise in Doctor Whitaker's Cygnea Cantio his swanlike song before his death wherein hee warbleâ—h sweetely vpon those at this day most Vexed questions of vniuersall grace and freewill And his contemporary the eye of the other Vniuersity Doctor Reynolds when hee lay on his death bed called for Doctor Abbots after the Lord Bishop of Salisbury Reply to W. Bishop then newly come forth and heard much of it read vnto him with great contentment But being as I said euen now out of tune in my body I listed not nor in that shaking weakenes could hold fast the peggs to streine and tune the iarring strings of câ—ntrouersed opinions in point of Religion That which I then most desired was to settle my thoughts and affections and compose my soule to rest by listening to the sweete songs of Sion set to Dauids well-tuned harpe and runs vpon in exquisite diuision by some of our excellent Asaphs in their pious Treatises Soliloquies Prayers Meditations and Contemplations This heauenly musick so ranished my senses that I found by experience in the twylight betwixt the day of life and night of death that inlightened thoughts affoord nothing like comfort to en flamed affections Now the oyle which feedeth this sacred flame next to the inspired holy Scriptures floweth most abundantly in Treatises of Deuotion In which kinde of writings the Romanists for the most part exceede in bulke but our Diuines in weight The Church of Rome like Leah is more fruitfull but her Deuotions like Leah in this also are bleaâ—e-eyed with superstitioÌ„ But the mother of our faith like Rachel is not altogether so fruitful yet she is more comely and beautiful and I hope wil be also here after as fruitful Verily if euer Priuate Deuotions powring theÌ„selus forth in brinish teares were in season now they are Neuer losses so great to be bewailed neuer iudgements so fearefull to bee auerted neuer hearts so hard to be mollified neuer consciences so fowle to be rinsed by teares as now Nature hath prouided a soueraigne remedy against the sting of the Scorpion in the oyle of the Scorpion When thou feelest the sting it is but bruising the Serpent and rubbing it on the place and the moisture presently of the Serpent killed destroyeth the venome of that Serpent I would to God our soules were as deare to vs as our bodies and that we tooke as much care for remedies against sinne as salues
roote of a true penitent To kindle the one and feede the other I Dedicate and deuote the DEVOTION of this part of my HAND-MAIDE to your Honour For the feasts representing to your Religious thoughts what Christ hath done for you will through the blasts of Gods Spirit inflame the heate of heauenly loue in you and the fasts admonishing you what Christ hath suffered for you must needs yeeld aboundant matter to supply the springs of godly sorrow In heauen ioy taketh vp all times and parts in hell sorrow on earth they diuide In heauen there is ioy without sorrow in hell sorrow without ioy on earth sorrow and ioy act their parts fasts and feasts haue their courses mirth and mourning their turnes and at euerie turne my HAND-MAIDE is readie to attend you either with sackcloth for the one or the wedding garment for the other S. Bernard taking his ground from those words of the Prophet Ioel Rent your hearts c. and returne to the Lord with your whole heart thus pleasantly descanteth therupon We cannot returne vnto the Lord with our whole heart vnlesse it be broken first with true contrition There is no whole heart but a rent heart no sound heart but a broken S. Ierome according in the same note summeth vp the whole practice of a deuoute soule in her priuate carriage with God in these words She sorroweth after a godly manner and reioyceth for that sorrow Godly sorrow for sinne and holy ioy for that sorrow is the whole Deuoute man Madame if my Meditations vpon the fasting suffering and death of our Sauiour make you sad and sorrowfull remember out of S. Ierome that you ought to be ioyfull for such sorrow If the piercing Texts of holy Seripture in the ADMONITIONS and HYMNES appointed for the Christian fasts diuide betweene your soule and spirit and bruse if not breake your heart with an holy sympathy remember out of S. Bernard that There is no returning to God with a whole heart but by breaking it And if you find in the whole Deuotion of Fasts matter of pensiuenesse and griefe in the Christian feasts you shall haue store of oyle to make you a cheerfull countenance and reuiue your deaded thoughts The heart of a man is in continuall motion it alwayes either dilateth it selfe or contracteth and the hidden man of the heart in like manner hath his Systole and Diastole as the Anatomists speake his heart continually either enlargeth it selfe by ioy or contracteth it selfe by sorrow And no doubt when God bespeakes our hearts for himselfe he especially expects and respects these motions thereof and affections producing them He will haue vs ioy in him and sorrow and long after him Ioy in his fauour and sorrow in his displeasure Ioy in his promise and sorrow at his threates Ioy in the holy Ghost and sorrow in our owne spirits Feast to him in a thankefull profession of his gracious goodnesse and fast to him in an humble confession of sinfull wickednesse Like the Heliotropium turne alwayes to the Sunne open when he sheddeth abroade his beames and shut when he draweth them in Inlarge our hearts with ioy at his gracious presence and sorrowfully shut and contract them when he is or seemeth to be absent from vs. Thus if our ioy be the interpreter of our loue to him and our sorrow of our desire of him if our ioy be holy and our sorrow holy if our feasts be feasts of Deuotion and our fasts be fasts of contrition our gracious Redeemer will vouchsafe to be present at both he will feast and fast with vs. At our fasts he will weepe for our spirituall as he did for Lazarus his corporall death At our feasts he will turne our water into wine and rauish our soules with heauenly melodie Our feasts shall be as temperate and holy as fasts and our fasts as comfortable as feasts A good conscience shall be vnto vs a continuall feast here and the Marriage supper of the Lamb an euerlasting feast hereafter To both which feasts God by his Spirit which biddeth you bring you for his sake who by his fasts and sorrowes on earth hath purchased for vs euerlasting feasts and ioyes in heauen In whom I rest Your Honour 's to dispose of DANIEL FEATLY PART 1. SVPPART 3. The Festiuall's Deuotion The Feast of the Birth of our Lord IESVS CHRIST The ground of this feast Prophecies in the old Testament Histories in the New of the Incarnation of the Sonne of God PARALELL Prophecie The Seede of the woman shall break the Serpents head Historie He took not on him the nature of Angels but he tooke the seed of Abraham Heb. 2. 16. In the fulnes of time God sent his Sonne made of a woman Gal. 4. 4. The Scepter shall not depart from Iudah nor a lawgiuer from betweene his feete vntill SHILOH come Gen. 49. 10. Christ is called Shiloh from an Hebrew word signifying to send or to saue or secundinam to intimate Christs virgin birth quasifilium secundinoe When IESVS was borne in Bethlem of Iudea in the daies of Herod the king who raigned when Christ was born was a stranger and so the Scepter was then departed from Iuda Mat. 2. 1. The Lord himselfe shall giue you a signe Be hold a Virgin shal conceiue beare a sonne and shall call his name Immanuel Isa. 7. 14. Ioseph being raised from sleepe did as the Angell of the LORD had bidden him and tooke vnto him his wife Mat. 1. 24. But knew her not till she had brought forth her first begotten Sonne and hee called his name IESVS ver 25. For vnto vs a child is borne vnto vs a sonne is giuen Isa. 9. 6. The Angel said Vnto you is borne this day in the City of Dauid a Sauiour which is CHRIST the Lord. Luk. 2. 11. But thou Bethlem EPHRATA though thou bee little among the thousands of Iuda yet out of thee shall hee come forth to me that is to be Ruler in Israel whose goings forth haue bin from old and from euerlasting Mich. 5. 2. When Iesus was borne in Bethlem c. Mat. 2. 1. Ioseph went to the City of Dauid called Bethlem Luk. 2. 4. And the dayes were accomplished that she should bee deliuered verse 6. And shee brought forth her first borne sonne verse 7. For thine instruction meditate on Christs birth For thy comfort apply the benefits to thy selfe For thy correction examine thy new birth and life and quicken Thine obedience by the exhortation Thy thankfulnesse by the Hymne Thy Zeale and Deuotion by the prayer AN EXHORTATION TO STRIVE AND PRAY for the state of grace and regeneration THE ANALISIS Wee must defire and pray that we may bee regenerated and borne anew because by it we obtaine 1 Entrance into the Kingdome of Grace Glory 2 Knowledge 3 Liberty from Corruption Raigning sin 4 Adoption and the title of the Sonnes of God 5 The preheminency of the first borne 6 The spirit of supplication and accesse
causeth repentance not to be repented of but worldly sorrow causeth death 2. Cor. 7. 10. For behold this selfe same thing that yee sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulnesse it wrought in you yea what cleering of your selues yea what indignation yea what feare yea what vehement desire yea what zeale yea what reuenge ver 11. They that sow in teares shall reape in ioy Psal. 126. 7. I dwell with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit to reuiue the spirit of the humble and to reuiue the heart of the contrite Isa. 57. 15. Ye shall be sorrowfull but your sorrow shall bee turned into ioy Ioh. 16. 20. Blessed are they that mourne for they shall bee comforted Mat. 5. 4. Wee haue mourned vnto you and yee haue not wept Luke 7. 32. And yee are puffed vp and haue not sorrowed 1 Cor. 5. 2. Woe bee vnto thee Corazin woe vnto thee Rethsaida c. for they c. in sack cloth Mat. 11. 21. And I gaue her time to repent and shee would not repent Reuel 2. 21. After thy hard and impenitent heart treasurest vp to thy selfe wrath in the day of wrath Rom. 2. 3. THE PRAYER FOR Tuesday morning composed of 1. Petitions sutable to the worke of the day 2. Motiues to godly sorrow agreeable to the precedent exhortation O That my head were water and mine eyes were a spring of teares that I might weepe day and night for the deluge of sinne ouerflowing the whole world but especially for the inundation therof in this our Iâ—â—nd We are ouerwhelmed in this Torrent and should be drowned but that the gales of thy Spirit driue it somewhat backe and thy restraining Grace with the publike discipline of our Lawes and Canons set some bounds to it What hearts can vent sight enough what eyes yeeld sufficient teares to bewaile those publike sinnes vnder the burthen whereof the Land sinketh besides those priuate which lye as heauy on each of vs in particular Sinnes of omission sinnes of commission sinnes of birth sinnes of life sinnes of youth sinnes of age sinnes of frailty sinnes of â—ilfulnesse sinnes of act sinnes of habit and custome sinnes of secret taint sinnes of open stâ—inâ— Sinnes of infirmity committed against the power of the Father sinnes of ignorancâ— against the wisdome of the Sonne and sinnes of malice against the grace of thy holy Spirit If I should goe about to extenuate my sinneâ— euen that would aggrauate them if to excuse them my conscience would condemne me For I must confesse to thy glory and my owne shame that by my Originall and Actuall secret and open sudden and aduised ignorant anâ—â—â—â—icious sinnes I haue dishonoured thy Name prophaned thy Word defaced thine Image grieued thy Spirit despighted thy Grace wounded my owne conscience stained my good name scandalized my profession depriued my selfe of the comforts of the Gospell of the protection of Angells of the sweet fellowship of thy Spirit and drawne vpon mâ—e many heauy iudgements and treasured vp wrath against the day of wrath Yet because I mourne with Dauid in my prayers I weepe bitterly with Peter I abhorre my selfe in dust and ashes with Iob I am ashamed and confounded with Ezra Lord let thy mercy preuaile against thy iustice my sighs and teares against my sinfull ioyes and thy Sonnes bloud euen against my crimson sinnes Lord who on this day madest dry Land and firme ground to appeare dry vp my â—â—â—res with the beames of thy mercy and giue me firme ground of comfort in thy Word Lord who on this day createdst all kinde of seedes sow in my heart the incorruptible seede of thy Word that I may thereby be regenerated to a liuely hope Lord who on this day createdst all kindes of fruitfull Trees make mee like a good Tree to bring forth good fruit here that I may hereafter eate of the Tree of Life which is in the middest of the Paradise of God So be it Amen The close out of Scripture GOd the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ grant mee according to the riches of his glory that I may be strengthened by his spirit in the inner man Ephes. 3. 16. That Christ may dwell in my heart by faith that I being rooted and grounded in loue ver 17. May be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the bredth and length and depth and height v. 8. And to know the loue of Christ which passeth knowledge that I may bee filled with the fulnesse of God verse 19. The Deuotions for Tuesdayes Euening THE HYMNE alluding to the worke of God on this day in the Allegory OVT of the deepe haue I called vnto thee O Lord Lord heare my voice Psal. 130. 1. O let thine eares consider wel the voice of my complaint verse 2. If thou Lord wilt be extreme to marke what is done amisse O Lord who can abide it ver 3. But there is mercy with thee therefore thou shalt bee feared verse 4. I looke for the Lord my soule doth waite for him in his word is my trust verse 5. My soule flyeth to the Lord before the Morning watch I say before the Morning watch verse 6. I haue watched and am euen as a Sparrow that sitteth alone on the house top Psal. 102. 7. My heart is smitten down and withered like grasse so that I forget to eate my bread verse 4. Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and instructest him in thy Law They that sowe in teares shal reape in ioy Psal. 126. 7. Hee that now goeth on his way weeping and beareth forth good seede shal doubtlesse come againe with ioy and bring his sheaues with him verse 8. The righteous shall flourish like a Palme-tree and shall spread abroad like a Cedar in Lebanon Psal. 92. 11. Hee shall be like a tree planted by the Riuer's side which bringeth forth her fruit in due season Psal. 1. 3. Whose leafe shall not fall and what soeuer hee doth it shall prosper verse 4. Such as bee planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of the house of our God Psal. 92. 12. They also shall bring forth more fruit in their age and shal befat and well liking ver 13. THE ADMONITION for Tuesday Euening being an exhortation to hunger and thirst for righteousnesse whereunto our Sauiour ascribeth the fourth Beatitude THE ANALYSIS We must diligently and earnestly seek after the meanes of our saluation because therby 1 Wee obey God 2 Wee imitate his Saints 3 Wee obtain blessings Temporall Spirituall 1 Fauour 2 Delight 3 Peace 4 Life 5 CoÌ„tentment 6 The Kingdom of heauen THE TEXTS SEek the Lord and his strength seeke his face euermore Psal. 105. 4. Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for that meat which endureth to euerlasting life Ioh. 6. 27. Receiue mine instruction not siluer and knowledge rather then fine gold Prou. 5. 10. For wisedome is better then precious stones and all pleasures are not to bee
the Mount of Oliues and his Disciples also followed him ver 39. And when he came to the place he said to them Pray lest ye enter into temptation ver 40. And he gate himselfe from them about a stones cast and kneeled downe and prayed ver 41. Saying Father if thou wilt take away this Cup from me neuerthelesse not my will but thine be done ver 42. And there appeared an Angell vnto him from Heauen comforting him ver 43. But being in an Agony he prayed more earnestly and his sweat was like drops of bloud trickling downe the ground ver 44. For thine instruction meditate In the Morning on the creation of Fish and Fowâ—e In the Euening on thy Sauiours Agony Last Passeouer Supper For thy comfort apply to thy selfe the Benefits Corporall of the one Spirituall of the other For thy correction reproue thy Abuse of the one Vnthankfulnesse for the other Quicken Thy thankesgiuing by the Hymne Thine obedience by the admonition Thy zeale and patience by the prayer ensuing The Hymne for Thursday-morning O Lord how manifold are thy workes in wisdome hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches Psal. 104. 24. So is the great and wide Sea wherein are things creeping innumerable both small and great beasts ver 25. There goe the Ships and there is that Leuiathan whom thou hast made to take his pastime therein ver 26. These wait all vpon thee that thou mayest giue them their meate in due season ver 27. That thou giuest they gather thou openest thy hand and they are filled with good ver 28. Thou hidest thy face and they are troubled thou takest away their breath and they dye and returne againe to their dust ver 29. They that goe downe to the Sea in ships that doe their businesse in great waters Psal. 107. 23. These see the workes of the Lord and his wonders in the deepe ver 24. For hee commandeth and raiseth vp the stormy wind which lifteth vp the waues thereof ver 25. They mount vp to the Heauens they goe downe againe to the depth their heart is melted because of trouble ver 26. They reele to and fro and stagger like a drunken man and are euen at their wits end ver 27. Then cry they to the Lord in trouble and hee bringeth them out of their distresse v. 28. He maketh the stormes to cease so that the waues thereof are still ver 29. Then are they glad because they are quiet so hee bringeth them to their desired Hauen ver 30. Praise the Lord vpon earth ye Dragons and all deepes Psal. 148. 7. Beasts all Cattel wormes and fethered Fowles ver 10. He sendeth the Springs into the Vallies which run between the mountaines Psal. 104. 10. By these Springs shall the Fowles of the Heauen dwell and sing among the branches ver 12. Let euery thing that hath breath praise the Lord Praise ye the Lord Psal. 150. 6. The Admonition for Thursday Morning being an Exhortation to peace-making or the seauenth Beatitude THE ANALYSIS The deuout soule must labour to make peace and haue peace with all as far as it is possible in 1 Obedience To the LAVVE To the GOSPEL 2 Conformitie to 1 God the Father Sonne H. Ghost 2 The Saints 3 In hope expectation of blessings 1 Temporall as 1 Good daies 2 A good name or honor 2 Spirituall as 1 The glad tydings of the Gospell 2 Wisedome 3 Righteousnesse 4 The guidance of Gods Spirit 5 The vnitie of the Spirit or communion of saints 6 The Beatifical vision or sight of God in Heauen THE TEXTS SEeke peace and ensue it Psal. 34. 14. Execute the iudgement of truth and peace in your gates Zach. 8. 16. Let none of you imagine euill in your hearts against your Neighbour ver 17. Haue Salt and haue peace one with another Mar. 9. 50. Into what house soeuer yee enter first say Peace bee to this house Luke 10. 5. If it bee possible haue peace with all men Rom. 12. 18. Let vs therefore follow after the things that make for peace and things wherewith wee may edifie one another Rom. 14 19. God hath called vs to peace 1 Cor. 7. 15. Be of one minde liue in peace 2 Cor. 13. 12. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts to the which all yee are called in one body Col. 3. 15 Follow righteousnesse faith charity peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart 2 Tim. 2. 22. Follow peace with all men c. Heb. 12. 14. God is not the God of confusision but of peace 1 Cor. 14. 33. The God of peace shall be with you Phil. 4. 19. To vs a Sonne is giuen and the gouernment shall bee vpon his shoulders and his Name shall be called Wonderfull Counseller The Mighty God The Euerlasting Father The Prince of peace Isa. 9. 6. Melchiâ—sedec first being by interpretation King of Righteousnesse and after that also King of Salem which is King of peace Heb. 7. 2. That he might be like to the Sonne of God who abideth our Priest continually ver 3. The fruit of the Spirit is loue ioy peace c. Gal. 5. 22. Abraham said Let there bee no strife betweene me and thee and my Herdsmen thy Herdsmen for we are brethren Gen. 13. 8. I labour for peace Psal. 1 20 6. Though I bee free from all men yet haue I made my selfe seruant vnto all that I might gaine the more c. 1 Cor. 9. 19. Why suffer yee not rather wrong 1 Cor. 6. 7. Being reuiled we blesse being persecuted we suffer it 1 Cor. 4. 12. Being defamed wee intreat ver 13. What man is he that desireth life and loueth many dayes that he may see good Psal. 34. 12. Seeke peace c. ver 14. Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called The children of the most High Mat. 5. 9. If the Sonne of peace be there your peace shall rest vpon it if not it shall turne to you againe Luk. 10. 6. The Wisdome from aboue is first pure then peaceable Iam. 3. 17. The fruits of righteousnesse are sowne in peace of them that make peace Iam. 3. 18. The Kingdome of God is not meat and drinke but righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. Liue in peace and the God of loue and peace shall bee with you 2 Cor. 13. 12. Keepe the vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Eph. 4. 3. Follow peace c. without which no man shall see God Heb. 12. 14. The Prayer for Thursday Morning composed of Petitions sutable to the worke of the day Motiues to peaceablenesse agreeable to the precedent exhortation ONe depth calleth vpon another the depth of my ignorance vpoÌ„ the depth of thy Wisdome the depth of my wickednesse vpon the depth of thy goodnesse the depth of my misery vpon the depth of thy mercy O
The Sonne of man came to giue his life a ransome for many Math. 20. 28. I lay downe my life for my sheepe Ioh. 10. 15. Feede the Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne bloud Acts 20. 28. He was deliuered for our offences and was raised againe for our iustification Rom. 4. 21. Being iustified by his bloud wee shall bee saued from wrath through him Rom. 5. 9. Who gaue himselfe a ransome for all to be testified in due time 1. Tim. 2. 6. How much more shall the bloud of Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge our conscience from dead workes Heb. 9. 14. His owne selfe bare our sinnes in his owne body on the tree that we being dead to sin should liue vnto righteousnes by whose stripes ye were healed 1. Peter 2. 24. The bloud of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all sinne 1. Ioh. 1. 7. Thou wast slaine and hast redeemed vs to God by thy bloud Reu. 5. 9. Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchizedek Psal. 110. 4. It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen againe who is euen at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for vs. Rom. 8. 34. There is one God and one Mediator betweene God and man the man Christ Iesus 1. Tim. 2. 5. He is able to saue them to the vttermost that come vnto God by him seeing he euer liueth to make intercession for them Heb. 7. 21. Christ is entred into heauen it selfe now to appeare in the presence of God for vs. Hebrewes 9. 24. If any man sinne wee haue an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous 1. Ioh. 2. 1. And he is the propitiation for our sinnes ver 2. Giue thankes ô Israel to the Lord from the ground of the heart Psal. 68. 26. It is a good thing to giue thanks to the Lord. Psal. 92. 1. O giue thanks to the Lord and call vpon his Name Psal. 105. 1. I will giue thankes to the Lord with my whole heart secretly among the faithfull and in the congregation Psal. 111. 1. He fell downe on his face at his feete giuing him thanks Luke 17. 16. There are not found that returned to giue glory to God saue this stranger ver 18. Giuing thankes alwayes for all things vnto God and the Father Ephes. 5. 20. Whatsoeuer ye do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Iesus giuing thanks to God and the Father by him wee giue thankes to God alwayes 1. Thes. 1. 2. In euery thing giue thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Iesus concerning you 1. Thes. 5. 18. What shall I render to the Loro for all his benefits Psal. 116. 12. 〈◊〉 Psal. 10. 7. 8. Psal. 116. 12. But ye are a chosen generation a royall Priest-hood an holy nation a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darknesse into his maruellous light 1. Pet. 2. 9. They that are with him are called and chosen and faithfull Reu. 17. 14. Ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you Ioh. 15. 16. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Rom. 8. 33. According as he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world Ephes. 1. 4. God hath from the beginning chosen you to saluation through sanctification of the Spirit c. 2. Thes. 2. 13. God created man in his owne image Genes 1. 27. Haue dominion ouer the fish â—f the sea and the fowles of the 〈◊〉 and ouer euery liuing thing that moueth vpon the earth ver 28. Thy hands haue made me and fashioned me Psal. 119. 73. Thou hast fashioned me behind and before and â—â—yed thine hand vpon me Psal. 139. 4. Thine eyes did see my substance yet being vnperfect and in thy book all my members written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them Psal. 139. 16. Thou art worthy ô Lord to receiue glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Reu. 4. 11. Thou hast redeemed me ô Lord God of truth Psal. 31. 5. Blessed be the Lord for hee hath visited and redeemed his people Luke 1. 68. Being iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ. Rom. 3. 24. Christ Iesus of God is made vnto vs wisdome and righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1. Cor. 1. 30. Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the Law being made a curâ—e for vs. â—al 3. 13. In whom we haue redemption through his bloud the forgiuenes of sinnes according to the riches of his grace Ephes. 1. 6. Colos. 1. 14. By his owne bloud he entered in once into the holy place hauing obtained eternall redemption for vs. Heb. 9. 12. Ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as siluer and gold from your vaine conuersation receiued by tradition from your fathers 1. Pet. 1. 18. But rather the pretious bloud of Christ as of a lambe without a blemish and without spot v. 19. Thou wast slaine and hast redeemed vs to God by thy bloud out of euery kindred and tongue and people and nation Reu. 5. 9. I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloued which was not beloued Hos. 2. 23. I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Math. 9. 13. Among whom also are yee the called of Iesus Christ. Rom. 1. 6. Whom hee did predestinate them he also called Rom. 8. 30. The gifts and calling of God are without repentance Rom. 11. 29. Walke worthy the vocation wherewith ye are called Eph. 4. 1. I presse toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Phil. 3. 14. God hath not called vs to vn cleannesse but to holines 1. Thes. 4. 7. Faithfull is he that calleth you who also will do it 1. Thes. 5. 24. Zion shall be redeemed with iudgement and her Courts with righteousnesse Isa. 1. 27. By his knowledge shall my righteous seruant iustifie many for he shall beare their iniquities Isa. 53. 11. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiuen and sinne is couered Psal. 32. 1. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie ver 2. It is one God which shall iustifie the circumcision by faith and vncircumcision through faith Rom. 3. 30. To him that worketh not but beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Rom 4. 5. Whom he hath called them he also iustifieth Rom. 8. 30. Being iustified by faith we haue peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. Rom. 5. 1. Much more being now iustified by his bloud wee shall be saued from wrath through him ver 9. Being iustified by his grace we shall be made heires according to the hope of eternall life Tit. 3.
7. Purge me with Hysope and I shall be cleane wash me and I shall be whiter then snow Psal. 51. 7. I will purge away thy drosse and take away all thy Tinnâ— Isa. 1. 25. For their sakes I sanctifie my selfe that they also may be sanctified Iohn 17. 19. Being sanctified by the holy Ghost Rom. 15. 16. Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified 1. Cor. 6. 11. That he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word Eph. 5. 26. For by one offering he hath perfected them for euer that are sanctified Heb. 10. 14. To them that are sanctified by God the Father c. Iude 1. 1. I know that my redeemer liueth c. Iob 19. 25. Though after my skin wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God ver 26. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsell and afterwards receiue me to glorie Psal. 73. 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast giuen me bee with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast giuen me Ioh. 17. 24. Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world Math. 25. 34. Feare not little flocke for it is your Fathers pleasure to giue you the kingdome Luke 12. 32. If so be we suffer with him we shall also bee glorified together with him Rom. 8. 17. The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glorie that shall be reuealed in vs ver 18. Whom he iustifieth them also he glorifieth ver 30. Who shall change our vile bodie that it may be fashioned to his glorious body Phil. 3. 21. I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith 2. Tim. 4. 7. Henceforth there is layed vp for me a crowne of righteousnes which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue me at that day and not to me onely but vnto them also that loue his appearing ver 8. Blesse the Lord ô my soule and forget not all his benefits Psal. 103. 2. Which forgiueth all thy sinne and healeth all thy diseases ver 3. O Lord thou hast brought vp my soule from the graue thou hast kept me aliue that I should not go downe to the pit Psal. 30. 3. The Lord killeth and maketh aliue c. 1. Sam. 2 6. It is God that girdeth me with strength and maketh my way perfect Psal. 18. 32. He teacheth my hands to warre so that a bow of steele is broken by mine armes ver 34. Which satisfieth thy mouth with good things and maketh thee young and lustie as an Eagle Psal. 103. 5. Come and let vs returne vnto the Lord for he hath torne and he will heale vs he hath smitten and he will bind vs vp Hos. 6. 1. I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant for with my staffe I passed ouer this Iordan and now I am become two bands Genes 32. 10. Also the Lord gaue Iob twise as much as he had before Iob 42. 10. Charge the rich in this world that they bee not high minded nor trust in vncertaine riches but in the liuing God who giueth vs richly all things to enioy 1. Ti. 6. 17. Thou hast set me at libertie when I was in thrall Psal 4. 1. Cornelius a iust man and of good report Acts 10. 22. And these all hauing obtained a good report through faith receiued not the promises Hebrewes 11. 39. Oyntment and perfume reioyce the heart so doth the sweetnes of a mans friend by heartie counsell Prou. 27â—9 Then came to Iob all his brethren and all his sisters and all they that had bene of his acquaintance c. Iob 42. 11. Thou Lord onely makest mee dwell in safetie Psal. 4. 8. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide vnder the shadow of the Almightie Psal. 91. 1. Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleepe Psal. 121. 4. The Lord shall preserue thee from all euill he shall preserue thy soule A preparatorie Hymne collected out of diuerse Psalmes where in the deuout soule desireth Accessea. Audienceb. Assistancec. Acceptanced. a Thou sayest seeke ye my face my heart said vnto thee thy face Lord will I seeke Psal. 27. 8. Hide not thy face farre from mee nor put thy seruant away in anger ver 9. Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me Psal. 51. 11. b Heare ô Lord when I crie vnto thee haue mercy also vpon me and answer me Psal. 27. 7. Ponder my words ô Lord consider my meditation Psal. 5. 1. My heart is enditing a good matter my tongue is the pen of a ready writer Psal. 45. 1. c O Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise Psal. 51. 15. Let my prayer bee set forth before thee as incense and the lifting vp of my hands as an euening sacrifice Psal. 141. 2. Set a watch ô Lord before my mouth and keepe the doore of my lips ver 3. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart bee acceptable in thy sight ô Lord my strength and my redeemer Psal. 19. 14. A preparatorie Prayer wherein all the conditions requisite in Prayer are expressed and prayed for HEauenly Father whose gift it is that I can aske any good gift at thy hands without whose grace I cannot desire thy healthfull and sauing grace Infuse into my heart the Spirit of supplication that in an awfull reuerence of thy Maiestie out of a true sence and feeling of my wants and infirmities and a liuely faith in thy promises I may with chearefulnesse of mind and feruencie of Deuotion and constant perseuerance lift vp a pure and plaine heart vnto thee at all times humbly intreating thy souereigne bountie for such things onely as thou in thy eternall wisdome hast pre-ordained to giue and calling vpon thee in such order and manner as thou hast prescribed me to aske in that absolute patterne of all prayer set downe in the Gospell by my Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. In whose name mediation and words I crie Abba Our Father which art in heauen hallowed be thy Name c. A preparation to the hearing of the word GOd in his infinite wisedome hath so disposed the meanes of our saluation that the soueraigne Antidote against sinne death is conueyed into the soule through the same passage whereby the deadly poyson first entered Death stole in at the eare by suggestion of the euill spirit and now life in the hearing of the word passeth in at the same gate of the soule by the operation of the holy Spirit Hast thou an eare ô Christian by thy profession for the diuell and none for God An eare to receiue poyson dropped in and not to
ye to the waters Isa. 55. 1. Giue vs euermore of this bread Ioh. 6. 34. For he that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drâ—nketh damnation to himselfe not discerning the Lords bodie 1. Corinth 11. 29. I am the bread of life hee that cometh to me shall not hunger and he that belieueth in me shall neuer thirst Ioh. 6. 35. Christ dwelleth in vs by faith Ephes. 3. 17. I will wash mine hands in innocencie and so will I go to thine altar ô God Psal. 26. 6. To the impure all things are impure Tit. 1. 15. If thou bring thy gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee Math 5. 23. Leaue thou thy gift before the Altar and go thy way be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift ver 24. Wee being many are one bread and one bodie for we are all partakers of this one bread 1. Cor. 10. 17 A preparatory Hymne to bee vsed before or at the receiuing of the blessed Sacrament wherein the deuout soule expresseth her a Desire of the foode of life b Hope that she shall obtaine it c Thankes for it a As the Hart panteth after the water brookes so panteth my soule after thee ô God Psal. 42. 1. My soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God ver 2. My soule thirsteth for thee my soule longeth for thee as a drie and thirstie land Psal. 63. 1. I will blesse thee while I liue I will lift vp my hands in thy Name ver 4. b My soule shall be satisfied with marrow and fatnesse and my mouth shall praise thee with ioyfull lips ver 5. Thou preparest a table before me and my cup runneth ouer Ps. 23. 5. The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup. Psal 16. 5. I will take the cup of saluation call vpon the Name of the Lord Psal. 116. 13. c I will pay my vowes vnto the Lord now in the presence of all his people ver 14. I will offer vnto thee the sacrifice of thanksgiuing and will call vpon the name of the Lord ver 17. saying The Prayer before the Communion GRacious Redeemer who out of thy pierced side openedst to all that thirst for thy grace a double fountaine for sinne and vncleannesse the one of water the other of bloud the one to purge the guilt the other the filth of sinne and hast sealed these inestimable benefits of sanctification and redemption vnto all beleeuers by the Sacraments of Baptisme and of thy holy Supper assist me by thy Spirit in the sanctified vse of these holy Mysteries and Symholls of thy most blessed bodie and bloud Most louing bountifull Lord who hast prepared such a table for me giue me a mouth and stomacke according that I may worthily receiue these heauenly dainties to the glorie of thine infinite goodnesse and the euerlasting comfort of my soule Cleare the eyes of mine vnderstanding from all mists of hereticall fancies carnall imaginations that I may rightly distinguish the signes from the things signified by them and also discerne thy bodie from common meate Sharpen my appetite that I may hungrily feede vpon this bread of which whosoeuer eateth shall neuer hunger and stily drinke of this cup of which whosoeuer drinketh shall neuer thirst O thou true foode of my soule receiue me who am now to receiue thee Quicken me with thy Spirit who wilt feede me with thy flesh vouchsafe me thy grace who communicatest to me thy nature that as in and by these holy Mysteries I receiue life from thee so I may also receiue by them grace to liue to thee not seeking mine owne pleasure nor doing mine owne will but deuoting the remainder of my life to thy seruice and yeelding my selfe wholly to the power of thy sanctifying grace to worke in me alwaies that which is pleasing in thy sight So be it Amen Religious duties to be performed at the time of the receiuing the Communion 1. Prepare thy body by a decent gesture 2. Recollect thy mind and fixe thy thoughts wholly vpon this most sacred action stir vp in thee 3. Stirre vp in thee 1 An holy feare out of this consideration that God is there present in a speciall manner and his Angels attending on him and obseruing thee Say to thy selfe in the words of Iacoh O how fearefull is this place it is no other then the house of God and gate of heauen 2 An holy astonishment or admiration out of this consideration that the Lord thy Maker and Redeemer and the high possessour of heauen and earth so farre humbles himselfe as to bee thy guest Say to thy selfe in the words of Salomon Is it true indeed that God will dwell on the earth Behold the heauen and heauen of heauens cannot containe him how much lesse the narrow roome of my soule 1. King 8. 27. 3 An holy abashment or confusion out of this consideration that so vile a worme and sinfull wretch as thou art should haue so infinite a Maiestie and holy God to come and sup with thee Say to thy selfe in the words of the Centurion Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe or with S. Peter Depart from me for I am a sinfull man 4 An holy sorrow out of this consideration yâ— thy sins did put thy Sauiour to these torments which are signified and liuely represented in this Sacrament Say to thy selfe in the words of Ieremiah O that mine eyes were a fountaine of teares to bewaile those sinnes which drew so much bloud from my Sauiour 5 An holy ioy out of this consideration that the infinite debt of thy sins is discharged and the acquittance deliuered into thy hands Say to thy selfe in the words spoken of Zacheus This day saluation is come into mine house 6 An holy desire of expressing some kind of thankfulnesse to God out of this consideration that together with the SacrameÌ„t thou receiuest Christ himselfe and all the benefits of his passion Say to thy selfe in the words of Dauid What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefits that he hath done vnto me I will take the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord. 4 Ioyne the signes with the things signified Take Feede on bodily Bread Wine ghostly Bodie Bloud 5 Obserue meditate vpon the resemblances betweene them 1 Bread and wine true and in substance not in appearance onely Christs bodie a true bodie his bloud true bloud not in shew onely as some Hereticks haue imagined 2 Bread one bodie or lumpe made of many graines wine one liquor or drinke of many grapes Christ his body one of many members vnited together 3 Bread and wine an entire repast Christs body and bloud the perfect refection of the soule 4 Bread and wine strengthen and comfort the heart Christs body and bloud est ablisheth the heart and comforteth the conscience 5 Bread and wine the common foode of men not children
to God with confidence 7 The guidance of the spirit 8 An incorruptible inheritance THE TEXTS EXcept a man bee borne againe hee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Ioh. 3. 3. Except a man be borne of water and the spirit c. verse 5. Ye were darknesse but now yee are light in the Lord. Ephes. 5. 9. The creature shall bee deliuered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God Rom. 5. 21. Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not for his seede remaineth in him neither can hee sinne because he is borne of God 1 Ioh. 3. 9. Sinne shall not haue dominion ouer you for yee are not vndâ—â— the Law but vnder grace 〈…〉 6. 14. As many as receiued 〈…〉 them he gaue power to 〈…〉 Sonnes of God euen to them that belieue on his name Ioh. 1. 12. Which are borne not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God verse 13. That he might redeeme them that are vnder the Law and that we might receiue the adoption of sonnes Gal. 4. 5. And to the congregation of the first-borne Heb. 12. 23. Of his owne will begat hee vs with the Word of truth that we should bee the first fruits of his creatures Iam. 1. 18. Wee haue receiued the spirit of Adoption whereby wee cry Abba Father Rom 8. 11. As many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God Rom. 8. 14. Blessed bee God the Father of 〈◊〉 Lord Iesus Christ which 〈◊〉 to his abundant mercy 〈◊〉 vs againe vnto a 〈◊〉 â—pe 1 Pet. 1. 3. To an inheritance incorruptible and vndefiled and that fadeth not away reserued in heauen for you verse 4. The same spirit testifieth to our spirits that we are the children of God Rom 8. 6. If we be children then heires euen the heires of God and coheirs annexed with Christs verse 17. A Hymne for the Natiuity of our Lord consisting of fowre parts 1. God the Fathers 2. Christs 3. The Prophets 4. The Churches Glory be to God on High in earth peace good will to men THe Lord euen the most mighty God hath spoken and called the world from the rising vp of the Sunne to the going downe thereof Ps. 50. 1. Out of Sion hath God appeared in perfect beauty verse 2. Saluation is nigh them that feare him that glory may dwell on the earth Psal. 85. 9. Mercy and truth are met together righteousnesse and peace haue kissed each other verse 10. Truth shall flourish on the earth and righteousnesse hath looked downe from heauen ver 11. Thou art fairer then the children of men full of grace are thy lipps because God hath blessed thee for euer Psal. 45. 3. Thou hast loued righteousnesse and hated iniquity wherfore God euen thy God hath annointed thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes verse 8. O Lord my God great are thy wonderous workes which thou hast done like as be also thy thoughts which are to vs ward yet there is no man that ordereth them vnto thee Psal. 40. 6. If I would declare or speake of them they should be more in number then I am able to expresse verse 7. Sacrifice and meate offerings thou wouldest not haue but mine eares hast thou opened verse 8. Burnt offerings and sacrifice for sin hast thou not required then said I Loe I come verse 9. In the volume of thy booke it is written of me that I should fulfill thy will O my God I am content to doe it yea thy law is in my heart verse 10. I haue declared thy righteousnesse in the great congregation Loe I will not refraine my lipps ô Lord and that thou knowest verse 11. I haue not hid thy righteousnesse within my heart my talking hath beene of thy truth and of thy saluation verse 12. I wil preach the lawe whereof the Lord hath said vnto me Thou art my Sonne this day haue I bogotten thee Psal. 2. 7. He shall call me Thou art my Father my God and my strong saluation Psal. 89. 27. And I will make him my first borne higher then the Kings of the earth verse 28. Shew vs thy mercy ô Lord and grant vs thy saluation Psal. 85. 7. Lord saue vs now Lord sende vs now prosperity Through thy tender mercy whereby this day spring from on high hath visited vs. To giue light to them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death and to guide our feete into the way of peace Cant. Zach. The Prayer GRatious Lord Iesus Christ the Sonne of God and Sauiour of man the ioy of Angels and dread of diuels the Iewes Messiah the Gentiles starre the hope of the liuing and resurrection of the dead the way to all that come vnto thee the truth to all them that know thee and the life to all them that belieue in thee Make good all thy glorious gratious titles to me Lord protect me Iesu saue me Christ my anointed King rule me my anointed Priest sanctifie me my anointed Prophet reueale vnto mee the secrets of thy Kingdome O Christ whose name is an oyntment powred out annoint me with the oyle of gladnesse this day aboue others This is the day which the Lord hath made I wil reioyce and be glad in it nay I dare take the note higher This is the day in which the Lord was made I will exult and triumph in it Thou which madest all dayes wert this day made of a woman and made vnder the Law From all eternity it was neuer heard that eternity entred into the Kalender of time supreame Maiesty descended into the wombe immensity was comprehended infinity bounded vbiquity inclosed and the Deity incarnated Yet this day it was seene for this day the Word became flesh God became man and to effect this wonderfull mystery a Virgin became a Mother One deepe calleth vpon another one miracle begetteth another The Sunne bringeth forth all other dayes but this day brought thee forth the Sonne of righteousnesse If wee set our voices and instruments and heart-strings to the highest straine of ioy at the birth of great Kings and Princes What ought I to doe this day on which thou the king of heauen wast born vpon the earth At the mariage of great Personages men giue full scope to all manner of expressions of carnall ioy euen oftentimes to the very surfeit of the senses with pleasure How then should I bee rauished with spirituall ioy at this time when heauen and earth the diuine nature and humane were married The contract was in heauen before all times but the marriage was this day consummated in the vndefiled bedde of the Virgin Lord who this day cammest downe to me draw me vp to thee and giue me accesse with more confidence and bouldnesse for now thou art become my brother and ally by bloud The rayes of thy diuine Maiesty will not dazle the eyes of
drinkes neither in feasting or fasting and Tertullian's censure is obseruable Hee that worshippeth God by meates or placeth worship in them is not farre off from making his belly his god yet it may bee truly called not only a good work but also a religious i. e. a worke commanded by religion and tending to religion as a preparation and helpe thereunto 〈…〉 to two 1 The Spirituall or metaphoricall fast of the soule which is the abstinence from the forbidden fruit of sin and this Fast although it may truly be so termed in regard of the restraint of our carnall appetites which as greedily desire sinfull objects as our stomake doth meate yet it is indeed a Feast as Salomon calleth it A good conscience is a continuall Feast 2 Corporall when wee abstaine from bodily sustenance and this is also 2 fold 1 Constrained and inuoluntary when Either we want meate to our stomake as in famine Or stomake to our meat as in sicknesse 2 Voluntary vndertaken deliberately when we abstaine from meate though wee could and might eate and this is 3 fold 1 Medicinall when wee forbeare either certaine meates or all meate for a while for the preuenting of sicknesse or recouering health 2 Ciuill when some kinde of meate is forborne for the profit of the Common-wealth 3 Religious when our abstinence is for the mortifying of our flesh and fitting and preparing vs to religious duties This also is either 1 Priuate in which euery man's conscience guided by Scripture and discretion must bee his law 2 Publike for which there must be a command from lawfull authority These publike fasts are either 1 Extraordinary as in time of warre plague or the like 2 Ordinary as the holiday Eues Embers anâ— Lent Fasts Place this first and second Table of Fasting in M btween fol. 260 and 261. Of the Lent Fast. THe Lent Fast is a mixed constitution partly ciuill appointed by the King or State to preserue young cattell spend fish and encourage fishermen partly Ecclesiasticall ordered by the Church for religious ends As those that haue a care of their bodily health vsualy purge in the Spring so the Church of God hath thought fit to prescribe this physick of fasting for the soule in the same season of the yeere for these ends especially 1. To beate downe the flesh at that season when by reason of the heate of the blood it vsually waxeth most wanton The ancient Romans vsed to hallow a spring to God and the Primitiue Church disdaining to bee outstripped by the heathen in any thing that sauored of Deuotion likewise consecrated the spring to the more strickt Seruice of God by fasting and prayer then at other times 2. To conforme the members to the Head In this season of the yeere our Lord's Agony and bitter Passion were endured and are remembred and therefore most fit it is that by fasting watching and teares wee expresse true remorse and sorrow for those our sinnes which were the causes of those his sufferings Godfrey of Bulloigne after he had conquered the holy land and regained it from the Saracens yet would neuer bee crowned there saying That it was not fit that the seruant should were a crowne of gold there where the Lord and Master ware a crowne of thornes Neither would Christ's dearest Spowse at that time of the yeere crowne her selfe with rose-budds in which Christ ware that crowne of thornes nor lye in beddes of downe when hee lay on the hard bed of his Crosse nor fare deliciously or drinke liberally when hee had nothing but gall giuen him to eate and viniger to drinke 3 To prepare vs to the celebration of the Feast of Easter and the participation of the Blessed Sacrament VVhat time fitter to call our selues to an accompt for the whole yeere then at or before the time which the Church hath appointed is in it selfe most proper for the most generall and solemne communion of the Lords Bodie and Bloud 4 To celebrate and as farre as wee are able to imitate our Lord 's fast of fortie dayes at least by some kind of abstinence during that whole time to imprint that miraculous fast of our Sauiour for vs deeper in our memories Question Doth the Church of England keepe the Lent fast as religious or a meere ciuill constitution Answere Not as a meere ciuill but also a religious sanction for as it appeareth in the booke of Common Prayer speciall Collects Epistles and Gospells with a Commination are appointed for diuers dayes in Lent Obiection Is it not Popery to keepe strictly the Lent fast as a religious institution An. It is not for First The religious obseruation of Lent is far more ancient then popery There are such euident prints and footsteps of it in the Authenticall Records of the Primitiue Church that he is altogether ignorant in the writings of the Fathers or blinde that seeth them not Secondly we keepe not Lent as the Papists doe but as the antient Christians did before Popery was hatched As in other things so in this we purge away the drosse wee retaine the gold wee remoue the abuse wee preserue the vse 1. Wee place not Religion or the substance of Gods worship in abstaining from any kinde of meate 2. We renounce all merit by fasting 3. Wee abstaine not from flesh as being any way conceiued by vs to bee more vnholy then fish 4. We doe not equalize humane constitutions Ecclesiastical or Ciuill to Diuine Lawes The one we teach directly and immediately to binde the conscience the other but indirectly iâ—mediately 5. We keepe it not by vertue of any papal constitution but in conformity to the ancient Church and obedience to his Maiesties Ecclesiasticall Lawes THE LENT' 's DEVOTION beginning on Ashwednesday â‚ The ground or at least the occasion of this Fast. In the Old Testament TYPES In the New an example in our LORD'S Fast. The Type Moses was with the LORD fortie dayes and fortie nights he did neither eate bread nor drinke water Exod. 34. 28. Hee went in the strength of that meate fortie dayes and fortie nights till hee came to Horeb the Mount of God 1. Kings 19. 8. Example Then Iesus c. Mat. 4. 1. And when he had fasted fortie dayes and fortie nights afterward he was an hungry ver 2. Being 40 daies tempted of the diuell and in those daies he did eat nothing Luke 4. 2. And the diuell tooke him vp into an high mountaine ver 5. IVdicious Caluin Videlius other excellent learned Doctors of the reformed church teach that this Fast of Christ was miraculous so no patterne for our imitation and they put Saint Chrisostome vpon it also whose words are Christ said Learne of mee not that I fast although hee could haue sayd so for he fasted forty dayes yet he saith not that but Learne of mee that I am meeke and lowly in heart The solution is not difficult for Christ's Fast may be considered two waies First
as a miraculous demonstration of his Diuinity or an euidence that hee was the true Messias because hee accomplished the Types foregoing in Moses and Eliah and in this regard it is to bee admired of vs but no way to be imitated And in this sence Caluin Videlius's words mayâ—passe and Saint Chrisostome must bee taken vnlesse thy will haue him contradict himselfe Secondly as a morall remedy against tentation or rather a spirituall Armour which Christ tooke vpon him when he was to buckle with the Diuell and thus wee may and ought to imitate Christ's Fast in the kinde though not in the degree As we cannot fast as Christ fasted so neither can we pray as Christ prayed whole nights and with strong cries and a bloody sweat yet no Christians euer doubted but that we may and must follow Christ in all religious exercises though not with euen paces yet as wee are able And because they appeale to S. Chrysostome let him be the Vmpire Our Lord Iesus Christ wheÌ„ he entred into the lists with Sathan fasted forty days giuing vs an example how wee ought to arme our selues against the Diuel Certainely if the Learned Bishops afterwards Martyrs that penned our Booke of Common Prayers had thought Christ's Fast of forty dayes no way to belong to our Fast they would neuer haue appointed the Story of Christ's Fast for the Gospell the first Sunday in Lent nor touched vpon it in the Collects For thine instruction meditate on Christ's Fast. For thy comfort apply the benefit of it to thy soule For thy correction condemne thy luxury and consider what great cause thou hast to humble thy soule with fasting Quicken Thy repentance by the Psalme Thy fasting by the exhortation Thy Deuotion by the prayer ensuing The Psalme for Ash-wednesday PVt mee not to rebuke ô Lord in thine anger neither chasten mee in thy heauy displeasure Psal 38. 1. For thine arrowes stick fast in mee and thy hand presseth me sore verse 2. There is no life in my flesh because of thy displeasure neither any rest in my bones by reason of my sinne verse 3. For my wickednesses are gone ouer my head they are like a sore burden too heauy for me to beare verse 4. Lord thou knowest all my desires and my groaning is not hid from thee verse 9. Heare my Prayer ô Lord consider my desire ô hearken vnto mee for thy Truth and righteousnesse sake Psal. 43. 1. And enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified verse 2. My spirit is vexed within me and my heart within me is desolate verse 4. I stretch forth my hands vnto thee my soule gaspeth vnto thee as a thirsty land verse 6. Lord be mercifull vnto me heale my soule for I haue sinned against thee Psal. 41. 9. O remember not the sinnes and offences of my youth but according to thy mercy thinke vpon me ô Lord for thy goodnesse Psal. 21. 6. I haue eaten ashes as it were bread and mingled my drinke with weeping Psal. 102. 9. And that because of thine indignation and wrath for thou hast taken me vp and cast me downe verse 10. My dayes are gone like a shadow and I am withered like grasse verse 11. When thou with rebuke doest chasten man for sinne thou makest his beauty to consume away like as it were a moth fretting a garment euery man therefore is but vanity Psal. 39 12. What man is he that liueth shall not see death and shal deliuer his soule from the hand of the graue Psal. 89. 47. When the breath of man goeth forth he shall turne againe to his earth and then all his thoughts perish Psal. 146. 3. What profit is there in my blood when I goe downe to the pit Psal. 30. 9. Shall the dust giue thanks to thee Or shall it declare thy Truth verse 10. Heare Lord and haue mercy vpon me Lord be thou my help verse 11. Here my Prayer ô Lord and let thine eares consider my colling hold not thy peace at my teares Psal. 39. 13. For I am a stranger vpon earth and a soiourner as all my Fathers were verse 14. O spare me a little that I may recouer my strength before I go hence and bee no more seene verse 15. AN ADMONITION FOR ASH-WEDNESDAY OR Exhortation to Fasting THE ANALSYS A deuout Christian ought to Fast because 1 God commandeth it 2 Christ commendeth it by Precept Example 3 The Saints practised it Vnder the Law Vnder the Gospell 4 It expelleth the Diuell 5 It quickens Prayer 6 It humbleth the Spirit 7 It tameth the flesh 8 It auerteth God's Iudgements 9 It obtaineth blessings Temporall Spirituall THE TEXTS BLow the Trumpet in Zion sanctifie a Fast call a solemne Assemblie Ioh. 2. 16. Is this the Fast which the Lord requireth c. Isa. 58. 5. The Bridegroome shall be taken away and then they shall Fast. Mat. 9. 15. When yee Fast bee not as the hypocrites c. Mat. 6. 16. Giue your selues to Fasting 1 Cor. 7. 5. And when he had fasted forty dayes and forty nights afterward he was an hungry Mat. 5. 2. Moses fasted Exod. 34 28. Fliah Fasted 1 King 19. 8. I ate no pleasant bread neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth Dan. 10. 3. Hanna serued God with Fasting and Prayer Luk. 2. 37. About this howre I Fasted Acts 10. 30. As they Ministred to the Lord and Fasted Acts 13. 2. Then Fasted they and Prayed verse 3. In Fasting often 2 Cor. 11. 27. And Prayed and Fasted Acts 14. 23. This kinde of Diuell goeth not out but by Fasting and Prayer Mat. 17. 21. I humbled my soule with Fasting Psal. 35. 13. I beate downe my body 1 Cor. 9. 27. And hee proclaimed through Nineueh Let neither man nor beast taste any thing neither feede nor drinke water Ionah 3. 7. And God saw their workes and God repented him of the euill which hee said he would doe vnto them and hee did it not verse 10. Go and assemble all the Iewes that are found in Shushan and Fast ye for me and eate not nor drinke in three dayes I also and my Maides will Fast likewise Ester 4. 16. And the Posts went forth with speede to exe cute the Kings decrees Ester 8. 14. Mordecay went out in a crowne of gold and to the Iewes was come Ioy and gladnesse verse 15. I Fasted Acts 10. 30. Peter sayd Of a trueth I see c. ver 34. The holy Ghost fell on them verse 4. 4. A Prayer for Ash-wednesday O Let not my Lord be angry that I who am but dust and ashes dare speake vnto him for my sinnes cry for vengeance and shall I be silent for pardon Gracious God either silence them or heare mee If thou wilt not heare the voice of my words heare the voice of my teares if thou wilt not heare them heare the voice of thy sons blood which
me and the paines of hell gat hold vpon me I found trouble and sorrow Psal. 116. 3. The Kings of the earth set themselues and the Rulers take councell together against the Lord and against his Christ. Psal. 2. 2. Mine enemies whisper together against mee against me doe they deuise hurt Psal. 41. 7. l Yea mine own familiar friends in whom I trusted which did eate of my bread hath lift vp his heele against me ver 9. I am like a Pelican in the Wildernesse and an Owle in the Desart Psal. 102. 6. I watch and am alone as a Sparrow on the house top ver 7. My louers and my friends stand aloofe from my stroke and my Kinsmen stand a farre off Psal. 38. 11. Mine enemies reproch mee all the day long and they that are mad vpon mee are sworne against me Psal. 102. 8. But I as a deafe man heard not and as a dumbe man that openeth not his mouth Psal. 39. 13. I am as a worme and no man a reproch to men and despised of the people Psal. 22. 6. All they that see me laugh mee to scorne they shout out their lips and shake their heads saying ver 7. He trusted in the Lord that he would deliuer him let him deliuer him seeing he delighted in him Psal. 22. 8. Many Oxen came about me strong Bulls of Basan haue beset me round ver 12. They gaped vpon mee with their mouthes as it were a ramping and roaring Lyon ver 13. Thy wrath lyeth hard vpon me and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waues Psal. 88. 7. I am powred out like water all my bones are out of ioynt Psal. 22. 14. They pierced my hands and my feet Psal. 22. 16. My strength is dryed vp like a Pot-sheard and my tongue cleueth to my gums ver 15. Reproch hath broken my heart and I am full of heauinesse I looked for some to haue pitty on me but there was none for comforters but I found none Psal. 69. 20. They gaue me gall to eat and in my thirst they gaue me vineger to drinke ver 21. My God my God Why hast thou forsaken me Psal. 22. 1. Into thy hands I commend my spirit Psal. 31. 5. Thou keepest all my bones so that not one of them is broken Psal. 34. 20. My heart is like wax it is melted in the middest of my bowels Psal. 22. 14. They part my garments among them and on my vesture doe they cast lots Psal. 22. 18. Thou hast layed me in the lowest pit in a place of darknesse and in the deepe Psal. 88. 5. Free among the dead like to them that bee wounded and lye in the graue which be out of remembrance and are cut away from thine hand The close out of Ieremiah IS it nothing to you all yee that passe by Behold and see if there be any sorrow like vnto my sorrow which is done vnto mee wherewith the Lord hath afflicted mee in the day of his wrath Lam. 1. 12. A Prayer for Good-friday DEarest Redeemer the Mediatour of Heauen and Earth who this day werest placed on the Crosse betweene them both with thine armes stretched abroad to embrace and thy head bowed downe as it were to kisse all that come vnto thee I humbly prostrate my selfe at thy feet desiring in vnfained repentance with my teares to wash those thy wounds that bled for my sinne and in a liuely faith to touch the print of thy nailes and thrust my finger into the hole of thy side thereby to take reall and corporall possession of thee that I may with Thomas truely call thee My Lord and my God my dread and my loue my surety and my ransome my Sacrifice and my Priest my Aduocate and my Iudge my desire and my contentment the life of my hope here and hope of my life hereafter Before I was thine for thy hands haue made me and fashioned me but now sith thou hast offered thy selfe to be my pledge and thy bloud for my ransome thou art truly mine My Lord and my God O let the Speare which ranne thee thorow fasten my heart to thy Crosse Let the nailes which printed thy flesh imprint thy loue in my soule let the thornes which pricked thy temples not suffer the temples of mine head to take any rest in sinne let the vineger which was giuen thee melt my adamantine heart into sorrow let the Spunge which was offered thee on the Crosse wipe out all my debts out of thy Fathers Tables Let others goe on forward if they please I will stay still at the Crosse and take no other Lesson for I desire no other Pulpit then that tree no other Preacher then thy crucified body no other Text then thy death and passion no other parts then thy wounds no other amplification then thy extension no other notes then thy markes no other points then thy nailes no other booke then thy opened side The first Adam did eat the fruit of the forbidden tree therefore thou the second Adam hangedst vpon a Tree By his fall all mankinde were so sorely wounded that the whole head was sicke and the whole heart faint from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foot there was nothing but wounds and bruses and sores full of corruption therefore thy whole head was pained thy whole heart wounded from the sole of thy foot which was gored with nailes to the crowne of the head which was pricked with thornes there was nothing but cuts and stripes and markes and skars and sores and wounds in thy whole body Because our heads plotted and deuised wickednesse on thy head was platted a Crowne of thornes Because our eyes burned with lust thy eyes were bedewed with teares Because we belched out blasphemies against God thy face was spit vpon Because our bodies haue beene stretched want only vpon our soft beds thy body was stretched vpon the hard Crosse. O Lord our eares haue offended thee by listening to want on Musicke prophane speeches and songs therefore thou suffredst in thine eare by hearing scoffes and blasphemous taunts Wee haue offended God in our smell by luxurious perfumes and sweete odours therefore thou sufferedst in thy smell by the stench of Golgotha Our taste had offended in gluttony and drunkennesse therefore thou sufferedst in thy taste by gall and vineger Because our feet were swift to shed bloud thy feet were nailed to the crosse Because our hands were defiled thy hands were bathed in bloud Because all parts of our bodies offended thou wast punished in all parts in thy temples with thornes on thy cheekes with buffets in thy ioints with straines in thy flesh with stripes Lastly because our hearts most grieuously offended in vnchaste malicious couetous ambitious thoughts desires and affections and piercing our selues with worldly cares therefore thou wast most grieuously punished in thy heart which was run thorow with the Speare If all the sufferings
of the Altar Psal. 118. 27. There is sprung vp a light for the righteous and ioyfull gladnesse for such as be true of heart Psal. 97. 11. Reioyce in the Lord O yee Righteous and giue thankes for a remembrance of his holinesse verse 12. I will consider the heauens euen the worke of thy fingers the Moone the Starres which thou hast ordained Psal. 8. 3. The Heauens declare the glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy work Psal. 19. 1. In them hath hee set a Tabernacle for the Sunne which commeth forth as a Bridegroome out of his chamber and reioyceth as a Gyant to runne his course verse 5. It goeth forth from the vttermost part of heauen and runneth about to the end of it againe and nothing is hid from the heate thereof verse 6. The Lord is my light and my saluation whom then shall I feare The Lord is the strength of my life of whom then shall I be afraid Psal. 27. 1. Though I should walke through the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no euill for thou art with me thy Rod and thy Staffe they comfort me Psal. 23. 4. Surely kindnesse and mercy shall follow mee all the dayes of my life and I shall remaine a long season in the house of the Lord verse 6. The admonition for Wednesday morning being an exhortation to mercy wherevnto our Sauiour ascribeth the fifth Beatitude THE ANALYSIS Mercy is a vertue highly to be esteemed and carefully to be practised because it is 1 Our onley plea and hope 2 The soueraigne attribute of God 3 His strickt charge to vs. 4 That vpon which hee proceedeth in the last Iudgement 5 A choice fruit of the Spirit 6 The Saints constant practise 7 The Touch-stone of true Religion 8 The assurance of our saluation 9 The meanes to obtaine manifold blessings in this life and in the life to come THE TEXTS ENter not into iudgement with thy seruants O Lord for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified Psal. 143. 2. The Lord grant vnto him that he may finde mercy of the Lord in that day 2 Tim. 1. 18. That he might make knowne the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy Rom. 9. 23. For God hath concluded all vnder vnbeliefe that hee might haue mercy vpon all Rom. 10. 31. And the Lord passed by before him and proclaimed The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodnesse and in truth Exod. 34. 6. Keeping mercy for thousands forgiuing iniquity transgression and sinne ver 7. God is rich in mercy Ephesians 2. 4. Thy mercy O Lord is in the Heauens and thy faithfulnesse reacheth to the Clouds Psalme 36. 5. For thou Lord art good and ready to forgiue and plenteous in mercy to all them that call vpon thee Psal. 86. 5. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion slow to anger and of great mercy Psal. 145. 8. The Lord is good vnto all and his tender mercies are ouer all his workes ver 9. Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of mercy and God of all comfort 2 Cor. 1. 3. He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to doe iustly and loue mercy c. Micah 6. 8. Thus speaketh the Lord Execute true iudgement and shew mercy and compassion euery man to his brother Zach. 7 9. Be ye mercifull as your father also is mercifull Luke 6. 36. Giue Almes of those things which are within and behold all things shall bee cleane to you Luke 11. 41. Sell that yee haue and giue Almes Luk. 12. 13. Be yee kinde one to another tender-hearted forgiuing one another euen as God for Christs sake hath forgiuen you Ephes. 4. 32. I will haue mercy and not sacrifice Hos. 6. 6 Mat. 9. 13. Put on therefore as the Elect of God bowels of mercy c. Col. 3. 12. To doe good and communicate forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased Hebr. 3. 16. Finally be ye all of one minde hauing compassion one of another loue as brethren be pittifull be courteous 1 Pet. 3. 8. Remember those that are in bonds as though yee were bound with them Heb. 13. 3. Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world Mat. 25. 34. For I was hungry and ye gaue me meat ver 35. I was thirsty and ye gaue mee drinke c. In that ye did it to the least of my brethren ye did it vnto me ver 40. But the fruits of the Spirit are ioy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse c. Gal. 5. 22. The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodnesse and righteousnesse and truth Eph. 5. 9. If I haue with-held the poore from their desire if I haue caused the eye of the widdow to faile if I haue eaten my morsell alone and the fatherlesse hath not eaten thereof Iob. 31. 17. If I haue seene any perish for want of cloathing or any poore without couering ver 19. If his bones haue not blessed me and if hee were not warmed with the fleece of my sheepe ver 20. Now there was in Ioppa a certaine woman a Disciple called Tabitha which by interpretation is called Dorcas this woman was full of good workes and almes-deeds which she did Act 9. 36. There was a certaine man in Cesaria called Cornelius of the band called the Italian band Act. 10. 1. A deuout man and one that feared God with all his house which gaue much almes to the people ver 2. There came a certaine Samaritane also that way and when he saw him hee had compassion on him Luke 10. 33. And went to him and bound vp his wounds powring in Oyle and Wine c. ver 34. He said Hee was his Neighbour that shewed mercy on him then said Iesus to him Goe thou and doe likewise ver 37. Now I haue all I abound I am full hauing receiued from Epaphroditus the things that were sent from you an ointment of a sweet smelling sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God Phil. 4. 18. The Lord giue mercy to Onesiphorus his house for hee oft refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chaines 2 Tim. 1. 16. We haue great ioy and consolation in thy loue because the bowels of the Saints are refreshed by thee brother Phil. 7. Pure Religion and vndefiled before God euen the Father is this to to visit the fatherlesse and widdowes in their aduersities and to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world Iam. 1. 27. There shall be iudgement mercilesse to him that sheweth no mercy and mercy reioyceth against iustice Iam. 2. 13. Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy Mat 5. 7. The liberall soule shall be made fat and hee that watereth shall bee watred also himselfe Prou. 11. 25. Giue and it shall be giuen
correcting and liberally prouiding for me euer since the day thou breathedst into me the breath of life Giue me yet more O Lord. What wilt thou giue me Giue mee a thankefull heart for all these inestimable fauours of thine infinite loue that I may continually blesse thee for thy continuall blessings with the dew of thy grace descending vpon me alwaies beginning the day with thy mercy and ending it with thy praise Blessed Redeemer who wert this day sold for thirty pieces of Siluer redeeme me from the thraldome of sinne and neuer suffer mee with Ahab to sell my selfe to worke wickednesse against thee Let the heinousnesse of Iudas his sinne and the horrour of his punishment deterre me from betraying thy truth for any worldly aduantage whatsoeuer O Bread of Life which hungredst for my sake O Source of the Springs of Libanon who thirstedst for my sake O Ioy of all mankinde which sorrowedst for me O Truth it selfe and fidelity which wast by false trechery betrayed for my sake O the true Wedding garment which wast stript for mee O the Redemption and ransome of the world who wert sold for my sake O the Life and Resurrection of all that hope in thee who dyedst for me imprint thy loue so deepe into my heart that neither hunger nor thirst nor sorrow nor nakednesse nor trechery nor thraldome nor hope of reward nor feare of persecution nor life nor death may race it out Was it not enough O Lord to become man for mee but thou must become a seruant Was it not enough as a seruant to bee scourged for me but must thou also like a bondslaue bee sold for me that am a bond-slaue of Satan sold vnder sinne Was it not too much to be sold but must thou bee sold at so vile a price as thirty pieces of siluer Was no means thought meane enough to abase thee The cheaper thou wert sold the dearer I cost thee for thou gauest not onely thy liberty and life but thy estimation also for mee The lower thou wert abased the higher thou hast exalted mee The lesse was giuen for thee the more I owe thee who wert content to bee prized solow and made of no reputation for me O strange ransome The Redeemer is sold that the sold bond-slaue may be redeemed O admirable iudgement The righteous is condemned that the vnrighteous may righteously bee acquitted O wonderfull cure The Physician is sicke and dyeth that the Patient may liue Meâ—ke Sauiour thou foresawest that the Diuell would enter into Iudas before hee entered Thou knewest that hee would betray thee yet thou chosest him that hee would lift vp his foot against thee yet thou shoddest him with the preparation of the Gospell of peace that hee would sell thee yet thou trustedst him with thy Purse that the poyson of Aspes was vnder his lip yet thou sufferedst him to touch thy Lips in which there was no guile and seale them with a kisse and gently vnsealing them thou saidst no more to him but Friend how camest thou hither Doest thou betray the Sonne of man with a kisse Sweet Sauiour how wilt thou entertaine thy friends when thou thus intreatedst thy trecherous seruant Thou who wert so good to him that was so bad as worse neuer was how will thy grace and goodnesse abound to them that excell in vertue If thou sufferedst a Traitor to kisse thee thou wilt neuer resuse to cheere vp the drooping countenance of a penitent sinner with a kisse Thy Espouse emboldneth me to beg that kindnesse of thee which she did Let him kisse me with the kisses of his lips Kisse thou me with a kisse of loue but let me neuer kisse thee with the kisse of Iudas Let mee neuer draw neere to thee with my lips and be farre from thee in my heart but first draw â—y heart then my body soule vnto thee Thou requirest the heart and searchest the heart and 〈◊〉 the heart and acceptest of no seruice or sacrifice without it Lord giue me a cleane heart and 〈◊〉 a right Spirit within me that I may giue thee such a heart as thou requirest Clense the thoughts and affections and intentions of my heart from all impurity impiety iniquity in-sincerity fraud and hypocrisie Let all the thoughts of my heart bee pure the desires holy the intentions sincere the affections vnfained and let all my words and works be hearty O let my heart be alwaies fixed vpon thee possessed with thee established in thee true vnto thee vpright towards thee and sincere for thee that in the great Day when the secrets of all hearts shall bee manifested my heart may not condemne mee but thou approue it and accept it and fill it with such ioyes as neuer entred into the heart of man So be it Amen The close out of Scripture Thanks bee giuen to the Father which hath made me meet to be partaker of the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1. 12. Who hath deliuered me from the power of darknesse and hath translated mee into the Kingdome of his deare Sonne ver 13. In whom I haue redemption through his bloud euen the forgiuenesse of sinnes ver 14. Thursday's Deuotion being the fifth day from the Creation The Father worketh Ioh. 5. 17. The worke of Creation on this day SO afterward God said Let the waters bring forth in abundance euery creeping thing that hath life and let the Fowle flye vpon the earth in the open Firmament of the Heauen Gen. 1. â—0 Then God created the great Whales and euery thing liuing and mouing which the waters brought forth in abundance according to their kinde and euery feathered Fowle according to his kinde and God saw that it was good ver 21. Then God blessed them saying Bring forth fruit multiply fill the waters in the Seas and let the Fowles multiply in the earth v. 2â— So the Euening and the Morning were the fifth day And I worke Ioh. 5. 17. The worke of Redemption on this day THen came the Day of vnleuened bread when the Passouer must be sacrificed Luke 22. 7. And be sent Peter and Iohn saying Goe and prepare vs the Passouer that we may eat it ver 8. And they said c. v. 9. Then he said vnto them Behold c. v. 10. And say to the goood man of the house The Master saith vnto thee Where is the lodging where I shall eat my Passouer with my Disciples ver 11. Then he shall shew you a great high Chamber c. ver 12. So they went and found as hee had said vnto them and neade ready the Passouer ver 13. And he tooke Bread and when he had giuen thankes hee brake it and gaue to them saying This is my Body which is giuen for you doe this in remembrance of me ver 19. Likewise also after Supper hee tooke the Cup saying This Cup is the new Testament in my bloud which is shed for you ver 20. And he came out and went as he was wont to
thy Redemption Quicken Thy thankesgiuing by the Hymne Thy sanctity and faith by the exhortation Thy zeale and deuotion by the prayer ensuing The Hymne for Friday Morning being the sixt day from the CREATION O Come let vs worship and fall downe and kneele before the Lord our Maker Psal. 95. 6. For he is the Lord our God and wee are the people of his pasture and the sheepe of his hands v. 7. What is man Lord that thou art so mindfull of him or the sonne of man that thou visitest him Psal. 8. 4. Thou madest him little lower then the angels to crown him with glory and worship v. 5. Thou madest him to haue dominion ouer thy workes and thou hast put all things in subiection vnder his feet v. 6. All Sheep and Oxen yea and the beasts of the field v. 7. The Fowles of the aire and the Fishes of the Sea and whatsoeuer walketh through the paths of the seas ver 8. O Lord our gouernor how excellent c. v. 9. The Admonition for Friday Morning being an Exhortation to Holinesse of life and conuersation the ninth BEATITVDE THE ANALYSIS We are in holy Scriptures inuited perswaded to Holinesse by 1 Precepts in the Lawe Gospell 2 The patterne of sanctitie in God the Father Sonne Spirit 3 The Tiâ—les and Attributes of the Church 4 The state of Creation at the fiâ—st 5 The nature of our Vocation 6 The end of our Redemption 7 The effect of Sanctification 8 The condition of Glorification 9 The fruites of holinesse which are 1 Ioy. 2 Peace 3 Prosperitie 4 Dignitie 5 Euerlasting happinesse THE TEXTS BE ye holy for I the Lord your God am holy Reuel 11. 44. Giue your members seruants vnto righteousnesse in holinesse Rom. 6. 19. Follow peace with all men and holinesse Heb. 12. 14. Put on the new man which after God is created in true holinesse Eph. 4. 24. Be in behauiour as becometh holinesse Tit. 2. 3. As he that called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conuersation 1. Pet. 1. 15. Thou wilt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption Act. 2. 27. But ye denied the holy one and the iust Acts 3. 14. Holy men spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost 2. Pet. 1. 21. Shee was found with child of the holy Ghost Mat. 1. 18. He will baptise you with the holy Ghost and with fire Mat. 3. 11. The Spirit of sanctification Rom. 1. 4. The Temple of God is holy which Temple ye are 1. Cor. 3. 17. That he might present to himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Eph. 5. 27. Created after the Image of God in righteousnesse and true holinesse Eph. 4. 24. God hath not called vs to vncleanenesse but to holinesse 1. Thess. 4. 7. Let your conuersation be such as becometh the Gospel Phil. 1. 21. Walke worthy of the Lord Col. 1. 10. I beseech you that ye walke worthy the calling whereunto ye are called He hath visited and redeemed his people c. That we might serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life Luke 1. 71. Being freed from sinne and made seruants to God ye haue your fruite in holinesse and the end euerlasting life Rom. 6. 21. Holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 4. Reioyce in the Lord alwayes and againe I say reioyce Phil. 34. Reioyce in the Lord ô ye righteous and be glad all ye that are true of heart Psal. 31. 12. Psal. 32. 1. Ye reioyce with ioy vnspeakeable and full of glorie 1. Pet. 1. 8. The Kingdome of God is righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. Blessed is he that hath not walked in the wayes c. Psal. 1. 2. But his delight is in the law of God c. Psal. 1. 3. His leafe shall not wither and whatsoeuer he doth it shall prosper Psal. 1. 4. Those that honor me I wil honor If thou call the Sabbath thy delight the holy of tho Lord and shalt honour him I will cause thee to possesse the high places of the earth Isa. 56. 23. 24. Blessed are all those that are vndefiled in the way walk in the Law of the Lord Psal. 119. 1. We looke for a new heauen a new earth in which dwelleth righteousnesse 2 Pet. 3. 13. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection on such the second death hath no power but they shall be Priests of God and of Christ and shall raigne with him Reu. 20 6. And I Iohn saw the holy Citie new Ierusalem comming downe from God out of heauen prepared as a Bride adorned for her husband Reu. 21. 2. Hee shewed mee that great Citie new Ierusalem Verse 10. The way to the 〈…〉 all was not yet made manifest Heb. 9. 8. By his owne bloud he entred in once to the holy place hauing obtained eternall Redemption for vs verse 12. The Prayer for Friday Morning being the sixt day from the Creation Composed of Petitions sutable to the worke of the day Motiues to 〈…〉 agreeable to the precedent exhortation GLOrious Creator and gratious Sauiour of mankind I lift vp mine eyes hands to thee whose hands this day made and fashioned me I lift vp my heart vnto thee whoâ—e heart was this day pierced for my transgressions I lift vp my bodie and soule to thee who this day wast lifted vpon the Crosse to offer an infinite sacrifice for the expiation of the sinnes of the whole world Let thy hands which fashioned and formed me sustaine and support me let thine armes which thou stretchedst on the Crosse embrace me and hold me fast to thee that nothing may seuer me froÌ„ thee Almightie and most wise Creator who hast made me of nothing suffer me not to make my selfe worse then nothing Gracious Redeemer who hast saued that which was lost loose not that which thou hast saued Though the malice of Sathan be great yet thy goodnesse is greater Though my sinnes be exceeding many yet thy mercies exceede them though my corruptions be strong yet thy grace is stronger Let it not be in my power or the power of any creature either in heauen or in earth to marre thy best worke to deface thine Image which first thou stampedst in me and after I had slurried and almost raced it out thou hast by grace renewed it according to the first patterne in holinesse and righteousnesse When thou madest me light I made my selfe darkenesse but thou hast turned my darkenesse into light When I was freed I enthralled my selfe but thou hast freed me when I was straight I crooked my will but thou hast rectified it when I was whole I maimed my selfe but thou hast healed me when I was happie I made my selfe miserable but thou hast
I belieue Lord helpe my vnbeliefe Is it not as easy for thee to raise mee out of ashes as at the first to reare me out of the dust to send backe my Spirit into my body as at the first to breathe it in I see the seede in the ground the plants in the garden dye before they rise and spring vp I see wormes and flies and diuerse other creatures that spend the winter season in a kinde of death reuiue in the Spring I see my selfe dead euery night and aliue in the morning Why then should I call in question this Article of my beliefe of all most comfortable Lord who this euening dist cast Adam into a dead sleepe and thy selfe fellest asleepe on the bedde of thy Crosse and awakedst him againe and raisedst thy selfe out of thy sleepe of death sanctifie my rest and sleepe this night vnto me that I may by it not only be strengthened in my body and reuiued from my bed of slumber to rise to my labour and trauell the next morning but also more confirmed in my faith touching the resurrection of this my body out of the bedde of the graue at the last day So bee it Amen The close out of Scripture To him that loued vs and washed our sinnes in his blood and made vs Kings and Priests to God euen his Father bee glory and dominion for euermore Amen Reu. 1. 5 6. Saturdayes Deuotion The Father resteth from the workes of Creation IN the seauenth day God ended his worke which he had made and the seauenth day he rested from all his worke which he had made Gen. 2. 2. So God blessed the seauenth day and sanctified it because that in it hee had rested from all his worke which God had created and made verse 3. The Sonne resteth in the Sepulcher ANd when the euen was come there came a rich man of Arimathea named Ioseph who had also himselfe bin Iesus's Disciple Mat. 27. 57. He went to Pilate and asked the body of Iesus And Pilate commanded the body to bee deliuered verse 58. So Ioseph tooke the body and wrapped it in a cleane linnen cloth verse 59. And put it in his new Tombe which he had hewen out in a Rocke and rolled a great stone to the doore of the Sepulcher and departed verse 60. And there was Mary Magdalene and the other Mary sitting ouer against the Sepulcher verse 61. Now the next day that followed the day of the preparation the chiefe Priests and Pharisees came together to Pilate verse 62. Saying Sir we remember that that deceiuer sayed while hee was yet aliue After three dayes I will rise againe verse 63. Command therefore that the Sepulcher be made sure vntill the third day left his Disciples come by night and steale him away and say vnto the people He is risen from the dead so the last error will bee worse then the first verse 64. Pilate saide vnto them Yee haue a watch goe your way make it as sure as you can verse 65. So they went and made the Sepulcher sure sealing the stone and setting a watch verse 66. For thine instruction meditate In the morning on the Father's rest from works of Creation In the euening on the Sonn's works of Redemption For thy comfort apply the benefits of both to thy selfe which are A holy rest here and happy rest hereafter Euerlasting For thy correction reprooue thy prophaning God's holy Sabbath by First Worldly businesse Secondly Carnal pleasures Thirdly Omitting holy duties Fourthly Performing them Negligently Vnwillingly Quicken thy Preparation to holy duties by the Psalme Constancy in life and death by the Admonition Zeale Deuotion and resolution by the Prayer ensuing The Hymne for Saturday Morning I Haue remembred thy Name ô Lord in the night season and haue kept thy Law Psal. 119. 57. I thought on my waies and turned my feete to thy testimonies verse 59. I preuented the dawning of the morning and cryed I hoped in thy Word v. 147. Heare my voice according to thy louing kindnesse ô Lord quicken mee according to thy iudgements verse 149. Seauen times a day doe I praise thee according to thy righteous iudgement v. 164. Great peace haue they that loue thy Law and nothing shall offend them verse 165. I haue longed for thy saluation ô Lord thy Law is my delight verse 174. Deliuer me ô Lord from the wicked which is a sword of thine Psal. 17. 13. From men which are thy hand ô Lord from men of the world which haue their portion in this life and whose bellies thou fillest with thy hid treasures verse 14. My heart is pained within me and the terrors of death are fallen vpon me Psal. 55. 4. Fearefulnesse and trembling are come vpon me and horror hath ouerwhelmed me v. 5. O that I had wings like a Doue for then would I fly away and be at rest v. 6. I would hasten my escape from the windy storme and tempest v. 8. An Admonition for Saturday Morning being an exhortation to perseuerance the twelfth BEATITVDE All that expect the reward of Pietie must striue and pray for perseuerance and abhorre and shunne falling away from grace because in Scripture The one is Commanded by God Commended in his Saints Encouraged vnto by promises of Certaine reward Saluation Assured cōfort An incorruptible Crowne of glorie The other is Vehemently disswaded Seuerely censured Dreadfully threatned Eternally punished THE TEXTS VVAtch yee therefore and pray continually Luk. 21. 36. Continue yee in loue Ioh 15. 9. Take heede to thy selfe and to thy Doctrine continue in them 1 Tim 4. 16. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast bin assured of 2 Tim 3. 14. Let vs hold fast our profession Heb. 4. 14. Hold fast till I come Reu. 2. 25. Reioycing in hope patient in tribulation continuing instant in prayer Rom. 12. 12. Dearely beloued and longed for my ioy and crowne stand fast in the Lord Phil. 4. 1. Paul and Barnabas perswaded them to continue in the grace of God Acts 13. 43. Confirming the soules of the disciple◠and exhorting them to continue in aith Act. 14. 22. But ye brethren be not wearie in well doing 2. Thess. 3. 13. Let brotherly loue continue Heb. 13. 1. Stand fast in one spirit with one minde striuing together for the faith of the Gospel Phil. 1. 17. Therefore my brethren be ye stedfast vnmoueable alwayes aboūding in the worke of the Lord 1. Cor. 15. 28. Watch ye stand fast in the faith acquit you like men 1. Cor. 16. 13. Stand fast therefore in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made vs free Gal. 5. 1. Wherefore take vnto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand in the euill day and hauing done all stand fast Eph. 6. 13. Brethren stand fast hold the traditions which ye haue beene taught 2. Thess. 2. 13. Whom resist steadfast in the faith 1. Pet. 5. 9. Ye therefore seeing ye know these things beware lest yee also
Church 8 Meditation vpon these heads especially 1 The infinitnesse of God's mercie 2 The price value of Christ's bloud 3 The efficacy of his intercession 4 The vertue of the Sacraments 5 The vniuersalitie and certaintie of Gods promises to the penitent 6 Exampls of mercy shewed to most grieuous sinners THE TEXTS ANd being in an Agonie he prayed more earnestly Luke 22. 44. Pray alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the spirit and watching thereunto with all perseuerance Eph. 6. 18. Be feruent in spirit seruing the Lord Rom. 12. 11. Reioycing in hope patient in tribulation continuing instant in prayer ver 12. Pray one for another that yee may be healed the effectuall seruent prayer of a righteous man auaileth much I am 5. 16. What prayer or what supplication shall be made of any man or of all thy people Israel when euery one shall know his owne griefe and his owne sore and shall spread forth his hands vnto thee 2. Cron. 6. 29. Then heare thou from heauen thy dwelling place and forgiue ver 30. Then Dauids heart smote him after he had numbred the people and Dauid sayd vnto the Lord I haue sinned greatly in this I haue done and now I beseech thee ô Lord take away the iniquitie of thy seruant for I haue done very foolishly 2. Sam. 2◠10. I make my bed to swimme I water my couch with my teares Psal. 6. 6. And hee went out and wept bitterly Mat. 26. 75. He shall restore that which hee tooke violently away or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten or that which was deliuered to him to keepe or the lost thing which he found Leu. 6. 4. Or all that about which hee hath sworne falsly hee shall restore it in the principall and shall adde a fift part more thereto v. 5. If I haue taken any thing from any man by false accusation I restore him foure fold Luke 19. 8. Goe thy way bee reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift Mat. 5. 24. Agree with thine aduersarie quickly while thou art in the way with him ver 25. Forgiue and ye shall be forgiuen Luke 6. 37. If ye forgiue not men their trespasses neither will my heauenly Father forgiue you Mat. 6. 15. If thy brother trespasse against thee seauen times a day and seauen times a day doe returne vnto thee saying I repent thou shalt forgiue him Luke 17. 4. Be yee kinde one to another tender hearted forgiuing one another euen as God for Christ's sake hath forgiuen you Eph. 4. 32. And his Lord was wroth and deliuered him to the tormentors til he should pay all that was due vnto him Mat. 18. 34. So likewise shall my heauenly Father doe also vnto you if yee from your heart forgiue not euery man his brother their trespasses v. 35. O King let my counsell be acceptable vnto thee and breake off thy sinnes by righteousnesse and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poore Dan. 4. 27. Many sins are forgiuen her for she loued much Luk. 7. 47. Giue almes of such things as ye haue and behold all things are cleane vnto you Luk. 11. 41. Sell that ye haue giue almes prouide your selues baggs that waxe not old and a treasure in the heauens which faileth not Luk. 12. 33. Lay not vp for your selues treasures on earth where rust and moths doe corrupt and where theeues breake through and steale Mat. 6. 19. But lay vp for your selues treasures in heauen where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where theeues doe not breake through nor steale v. 20. And I say vnto you make vnto your selues friends of the Mammon of vnrighteousnesse that when yee faile they may receiue you into euerlasting habitations Luke 16. 9. While ye haue time doe good vnto all men but especially to them of the houshould of faith Gal. 6. 10. Charge the rich in this world 1 Tim. 6. 17. That they doe good that they be rich in good workes ready to distribute willing to communicate v. 18 Laying vp for themselues a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternall life v. 19. To do good and to communicate forget not for with such sacrifice God is well pleased Heb. 13. 16. His soule draweth nigh to the graue and his life to the destroyer Iob. 33. 22. If there bee a messenger with him or an interpreter one of a thousand to shew vnto him his vprightnesse ver 23. Then he is gracious vnto him and saith Deliuer him from going downe to the pit I haue found a ransome ver 24. He will pray vnto God and he will be fauourable vnto him hee shall see his face with ioy v. 26. Is any man sicke among you let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray ouer him I am 5. 14. And the prayer of the Faithfull shall saue the sicke c and if hee haue committed sinnes they shal be forgiuen him ver 15. Verily I say vuto you whatsoeuer ye shal bind in earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer yee shall loose on earth shall bee loosed ia Heauen Matth. 18. 18. And when hee had sayd thus he breathed on them and sayd vnto thē Receiue the holy Ghost Ioh. 20. 22. Whosoeuers sins ye remit they are remitted vnto them and whosoeuers sinnes ye retaine they are retained verse 23. Thy mercy is great aboue the heauens and thy truth reacheth to the clouds Psal. 108. 4. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion slow to anger and of great mercy Psal. 145. 8. The Lord is good vnto all and his tender mercy is ouer all his workes Psal. 145. 9. Thou Lord art good and ready to forgiue and plenteous in mercy to all them that call vpon thee Psal. 86. 5 Thou O Lord art a God full of compassion and gracious long suffering plenteous in mercy and truth ver 15. O giue thanks vnto the Lord for he is good and his mercy endureth for euer Psalm 136. 1. 116. 1. 107. 1. 118. 1. In whom we haue redemption through his blood according to the riches of his grace Eph. 1. 6. By his owne blood hee entered once into the holy place hauing obtained eternall redemption for vs Heb. 9. 12. The precious blood of Christ as of a Lambe without blemish 1 Pet. 1. 19. This is the Cup of the New Testament in my blood which is shed for you Luke 22. 10. The Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Act 20. 28. Much more being now iustified by his blood we shall bee saued from wrath through him Rom. 5. 9. Ye are made nigh by the blood of Christ Eph. 2. 13. For he is our peace v. 14. If the blood of bulls and of goates and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the vncleane sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh Heb. 9. 13. How much more shall the blood of Christ who through
the eternall Spirit offered himselfe to God without spot purge our consciences from dead workes verse 14. The blood of Iesus Christ his Son clenseth vs from al sinne 1 Ioh. 1. 7. If any man sin wee haue an Aduecate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous 1 Iohn 2. 1. And he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours onely but also for the sins of the whole world v. 3. These haue washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lambe Reu. 7. 14. Thou hast redeemed vs by thy blood to God Reu. 5. 9. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keepe them from the euill Ioh. 17. 15. Sanctifie them through thy truth thy Word is truth v. 17. Neither pray I for these alone but for them which shall belieue on me through the word v. 20. I haue prayed for thee that thy faith may not faile Luke 22. 32. In that day ye shall aske in my name and I say not vnto you that I will pray the Father for you Ioh. 16. 26. For the Father himselfe loueth you because ye haue loued me v. 27. Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen againe who is euen at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for vs Rom. 8. 34. Hee is able to saue them euermore that come vnto God by him seeing hee euer liueth to make intercession for them Heb. 7. 25. IOHN did baptize in the wildernesse and preach the baptisme of repentance for the remission of sins Mar. 1. 4. According to his mercy hee saued vs by the lauer of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost Tit. 3. 5. The like figure whereunto euen baptisme doth now saue vs by the resurrection of Iesus Christ 1 Pet. 3. 21. Repent and bee baptized euery one of you in the name of the Lord Iesus for the remission of sins Act. 2. 38. This is the Blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Mat. 26. 28. Seeke the Lord while hee may be found call ye vpon him while he is neere Isa. 55. 6. Let the wicked for sake his way and the vnrighteous man his thoughts and let him returne to the Lord and he will haue mercy vpon him and to our God and he will abundantly pardon v. 7. For my thoughts are not your thoughts nor my waies your waies saith the Lord v 8. As I liue saith the Lord God I haue no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and liue Ezekiel 18. 22. Turne you turne you from your euill waies for why will yee dye ô yee house of Israel Ezek. 33. 11. I haue no pleasure in the death of him that dyeth saith the Lord God wherefore turne your selues and liue Ezek. 18. 32. They shall know me from the least to the greatest saith the Lord and I will forgiue their iniquity and remember their sin no more Ier. 31. 34. Thou shalt finde the Lord if thou seeke him with al thy heart and with all thy soule Deut. 4. 29. For the Lord thy God is a mercifull God he will not forsake thee nor destroy thee v. 31. If my people shall humble themselues and pray and seeke my face and turne from their wicked waies then I will heare from heauen and will forgiue their sinne 2 Chro. 7. 14. If thou returne to the Almighty thou shalt be built vp Iob 22. 23. I haue blotted out as a thick clowde thy transgressions and as a clowde thy sins returne vnto me for I haue redeemed thee Isa. 44. 22. Cease to doe euill learne to doe well Isa. 1. 17. Come now let vs reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as skarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall bee as wooll Isa. 1. 18. Goe proclaime these words to the North and say Returne thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall vpon you for I am mercifull saith the Lord and will not keepe anger for euer Ier. 3 12. Onely acknowledge thine iniquity that thou hast transgressed the Lord thy God verse 13. Come let vs returne to the Lord for he hath torne and hee will heale vs he hath smitten and he will binde vs vp Hosea 6. 1. I will heale their back-slidings I will loue them freely Hosea 14. 4. Seeke the Lord and yee shall liue Amos 5. 6. Turne yee vnto mee saith the Lord of Hosts and I will turne vnto you Zac. 1. 3. Come vnto me all ye that are heauy laden and I will ease you Mat. 11. 28. Likewise I say vnto you There is ioy in the presence of the Angels of God ouer one sinner that repenteth Luke 15. 10. The Son of Man came to saue that which was lost Luke 19. 10. I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Luk. 5. 32. That repentance and remission of sinnes should bee preached in his name among all Nations Luke 24. 47. Repent ye therefore and bee conuerted that your sinnes may be blotted out when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord Acts 3. 19. The Lord is not slacke as some men account slacknesse but is long suffering to vs-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance 2 Pet. 3. 9. If wee confesse our sins hee is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse 1 Ioh. 1. 9. Manasses built altars for al the Host of heauen 2 Chron. 33. 5. And he caused his children to passe by the fire in the valley of Hinnon also he vsed Witch-craft and dealt with familiar Spirits c. v. 67. But when hee was in his affliction hee besought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the Lord of his Fathers v. 12. And prayed vnto him and he was intreated of him and he heard his supplication v. 13. He denied before them al saying I know not what thou sayest Mat. 26. 70. And againe he denyed him v. 72. Then he began to curse and to sweare saying I know not the man v. 74. And the Lord turned and looked vpon PETER and PETER remembred the words of the Lord Luk. 22. 61. And PETER went out and wept bitterly v. 62. And behold a woman in the City which was a sinner brought an al abaster box of ointment c. Luk. 7 37. Her sinnes which are many are forgiuen her for she loued much v. 47. A woman which had bin healed of euill Spirits and infirmities Mary Magdalene out of whom went seauen diuels Luk. 8. 2. The younger tooke his iourney into a farre countrey and wasted his substance with riotous liuing Luk. 15. 13. When he came to himselfe he said c. v. 18. I will arise and goe to my Father and say Father I
haue sinned against heauen and against thee c. v. 20. And he arose went to his Father but when he was yet a great way off his Father sawe him and had compassion came fell on his neck and kissed him v. 20. And he said to Iesus Lord remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome Luk. 23. 41. And Iesus said vnto him Vetily I say vnto thee This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise v. 43. Him ye haue taken and by wicked hands haue crucified and slaine Act. 2. 23. Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Iesus whom yee haue crucified both Lord and Christ v. 36. Now when they heard this they were pricked in heart and said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren what shall wee doe verse 37. Then Peter said Repent and be baptized for the remission of sins v. 38. Then they that gladly receiued the Word were baptized and the same day were added vnto them about three thousand soules verse 41. This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners of whom I am chiefe 1 Tim. 1. 15. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that in mee Iesus Christ might first shew forth all long suffering for a patterne to them which should hereafter belieue on him to eternall life v. 16. A Psalme for the sicke lying at the point of death wherein The humble and faithfull Christian 1 Layeth open his affliction In body In minde 2 Confesseth his many and grieuous sins 3 Earnestly prayeth for Audience Sence of Gods fauour Pardon for his sinne 4 Acknowledgeth God's great mercies through his whole life 5 Professeth his Trust in God Ioy in the holy Ghost Peace of conscience Desire of Death Assured hope of eternall blisse 6 Commendeth his soule to God O Lord God of my saluation I haue cryed day and night before thee ô let my prayer enter into thy presence Psal. 88. 1. For my soule is full of trouble and my life draweth nigh vnto hell v. 2. I am weary of my groaning euery night wash I my bed and water my couch with my teares Psal. 6. 6. I am accounted as one that goeth downe to the pit I haue bin as a man that hath no strength Psal. 88. 3. Free among the dead like vnto them that bee wounded and that lie in the graue which be out of remembrance and cut away from thine hand v. 4. Thine indignation lyeth hard vpon me and thou hast vexed me with all thy stormes v. 6. I am powred out like water and all my bones are out of ioynt my heart also in the middest of my bowells is like melted waxe Psal. 22. 14. My strength is dryed vp like a potsheard and my tongue cleaueth to my gummes and thou shalt bring mee into the dust of death v. 13. The sorrowes of death compasse me and the ouerflowings of vngodlines make me afraid Psal. 18. 3. The paines of hell come about me the Snares of death ouertake me v. 4. Thine arrowes stick fast in me and thy hand presseth mee sore Psal. 38. 2. There is no health in my flesh because of thy displeasure neither any rest in my bones by reason of my sin v. 3. For my wickednesses are gone ouer my head and are like a sore burden too heauy for me to beare v. 4. If thou Lord wilt bee extreame to marke what is done amisse ô Lord who may abide it Psal. 130. 3. Out of the deepe haue I called vnto thee ô Lord Lord heare my voice v. 1. O let thine eares consider well the voice of my complaint v. 2. Lord why abhorrest thou my soule and hidest thy face from me Psal. 88. 14. I am in misery and like to him that is at the point to dye from my youth vp thy terrors haue I suffered with a troubled minde v. 15. Thy wrathfull displeasure goeth ouer me and the feare of thee hath vndone me v. 16. Haue mercy vpon mee ô God after thy great goodnesse according to the multitude of thy mercies doe away mine offences Psal. 51. 1. Wash me throughly from my wickednesse and clense me from my sinne v. 2. Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me v. 11. O giue me the comfort of thy helpe againe and stablish me with thy free Spirit v. 12. Neuerthelesse I am alwaies with thee for thou hast holden me vp by thy right hand Psal. 73. 23. Thou shalt guide me by thy counsell and after that receiue me with glory v. 24. Whom haue I in heauen but thee ô Lord and I desire none in earth in comparison of thee v. 23. Returne to thy rest ô my soule for the Lord hath rewarded thee Psal. 116. 7. Thou hast put gladnesse in my heart more then theirs whose corne and wine and oyle increaseth Psal. 4. 8. I will lay me downe and take my rest for it is thou Lord onely that makest mee dwell in safety v. 9. I will behold thy presence and when I awake vp after thy likenesse I will bee satisfied with it Psal. 17. 16. I shall be satisfied with the plenteousnesse of thine house and thou shalt giue mee drinke of thy pleasures as of the riuers Psal. 36. 8. For with thee is the well of life and in thy light shall I see light v. 9. Thou shalt shew me the path of life in thy presence is fulnes of ioy and at thy right hand there is pleasure for euermore Psal. 16. 12. Into thy hands I commend my Spirit for thou hast redeemed me ô Lord thou God of truth Psal. 31. 6. A Prayer for the sicke lying at the mercy of God and ready to depart AETernall and omnipotent infinite incomprehensible God Lord of my life and determiner of my dayes My body now is resoluing into dust and my soule returning to thee that gauest it O Lord most holy ô God most mighty draw neere vnto me who make hast to come vnto thee Giue mee a cleerer sight of thee by how much the neerer I am out of the darke prison of my body Giue me also a quicker taste of the powers of the life to come that I may more comfortably passe ouer these last troubles of this present life O Lord my soule is heauy euen vnto death for the weight of al my sins aggrauated by the diuel is at once vpon me and I sink and faint vnder this burdon which is too heauy for me to beare Neither is there any meanes vnder heauen to ease mee of it but by laying it vpon him that hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrowes O Father of mercy and God of all consolation let not the guilt of my sins or horror of thy iudgements or Sathans suggestions or the feare of death or terrors of hell driue me to desperation I confesse that for
condemneth them to euerlasting torments in hell PARS II. SECT 12. DOMIN 12. Of Christ his Person Q. WHat are we to know and acknowledge concerning Christ the Mediator A. His Person State Office Q. What ought wee to belieue touching his Person A. That he is God and man in one person conceiued by the Holy-Ghost incarnate of the Virgin Marie SECT 13. DOMIN 13. Of Christ's estate of humiliation Q. In what state or states doth the Scripture describe him to vs A. In two states 1. Of humiliation 2. Of exaltation Q. What suffered he in the state of humiliation A. He bare all our infirmities became subiect to the Law and was obedient to death euen the death of the Crosse was buried and descended into hell SECT 14. DOMIN 14. Of Christ his estate of exaltation Q. What did Christ in the state of exaltation A. He laid downe all our infirmities arose from the dead ascended into heauen sitteth at the right hand of God and shall come in the clowdes with great glory to iudge the quicke and the dead SECT 15. DOMIN 15. Of Christ his Propheticall function Q. What office did the Sonne of God take vpon him for the saluation of man A. The Office of a Mediator betwixt God and man Q. How performeth hee this office A. By executing the functions of a Prophet Priest King Q. What appertaineth to Christ's Propheticall function A. To reueale the hidden wisedome of his Father Q. How hath he heretofore executed this function A. Before his Incarnation by the Priests and Prophets of the old Law In the dayes of his flesh he executed it in his owne person preaching the Gospell which is the couenant of grace and instituting Sacraments as seales theroof viz. Baptisme which is the seale of regeneration and our entrance into the Church The Lords Supper which is the seale of our spirituall growth and nourishment in the Church Q. How doth he yet execute this function A. By the Ministers of the Word whom he furnisheth with gifts answerable and assisteth them in the holy workes of their sacred calling with his spirit enlightening the vnderstanding and opening the hearts of all belieuers to make their Ministerie effectuall Q. What benefits reape wee by Christ's Propheticall function A. Vocation and the Effects thereof incorporation into Christ's mysticall body faith spirituall wisedome and vnderstanding with other sanctifying graces of the holy Ghost SECT 16. DOMIN 16. Of Christ his Priestly function Q. What appertaineth to Christ's Priestly function A. To cleanse vs from our sins and reconcile vs to God his Father Q. How did hee execute this function A. By fulfilling the Law and offering vp himselfe vpon the Altar of the Crosse for a propitiatory sacrifice for our sinnes Q. How doth he yet execute this office A. By appearing at the right hand of God to make intercession for vs. Q. What benefits reape wee by his Priest-hood A. Iustification with the fruits thereof frée accesse vnto God with confidence setled peace of conscience and vnspeakeable ioy in the holy-Ghost SECT 17. DOMIN 17. Of Christ his Kingly function Q. What appertaineth to Christ's Kingly function A. To rule and gouerne his Church Q. How hath hee executed this function A. By making laws for the whole companie of the faithfull and establishing a perpetuall gouernment in his Church Q. How doth he yet execute this royall function A. First by his spirit ruling in our hearts and subduing the flesh to the Spirit 2. By protecting vs against all our ghostly and bodily enemies 3. By inflicting iudgements vpon the enemies of his Church 4. By aduancing his Elect to a Kingdome in heauen Q. What benefits reape wee by his Kingdome A. Glorification with the parts thereof victory safetie eternall glory SECT 18. DOMIN 18. Of the Church and the parts thereof Q. For whom did Christ take our nature vpon him and discharge his threefold office A. For his Mysticall body the Catholike Church Q. What meane you by the Catholike Church A The whole company of the Elect called already or to be called by the Word Spirit out of the estate of corruption and seruitude of sinne into the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God to bée co-heires with Christ in his Kingdome Q. Where is this company to be found A. It is partly triumphant in heauen with Christ their Head partly militant vnder the crosse dispersed ouer the face of the whole earth where Christian Religion is professed and belieued SECT 19. DOMIN 19. Of the notes of the true Church Q. Is the Catholike Church a visible company that we may know whither to repaire for the meanes of saluation or is it altogether inuisible A. It is visible in respect of the outward badge of profession and it may be discerned by two notes especially viz. the sincere preaching of the Word and right due administration of the Sacraments agrèeable to the holy Scriptures But it is inuisible in respect of the inward seale of Gods Election who alone knoweth who are his Q. How then may a man know that he belongeth to the number of the Elect and is a liuing member of Christ A. 1. By the testimonie of the spirit which witnesseth to our spirits that we are the Sonnes of God 2. By conformitie of our beliefe to the holy Scriptures in all points necessarie to saluation 3. By a particular assurance of our owne saluation grounded vpon the promises of God in Christ and applyed to vs by faith 4. By the diuerse remarkable effects of a iustifying faith and sanctifying grace which are especially these 1. True humility 2. Unfeigned repentance 3. Sonne-like feare 4. Uniuersall and absolute submission to Gods will 5. Comfortable patience in all afflictions 6. Proficiencie and perseuerance in godlinesse 7. Setled peace of conscience 8. Unspeakable ioy in the holy-Ghost PARS III. SECT 20. DOMIN 20. Of the two-fold worship of God and of faith THis may suffice concerning the knowledge of God and him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ to discharge the Office of a Prophet Priest and King for his Church Q. Now how ought we to worship and serue God A. Both immediately and mediately as before I said Q. How immediately A. Both inwardly and outwardly Q. How inwardly A. By faith and other diuine graces that issue of faith Q. What is faith A. An infused habit or spirituall grace whereby wee stédfastly belieue all things contained in holy Scriptures and particularly apprehend and apply vnto our selues the promises of God in Christ wholly relying vpon him for our saluation SECT 21. DOMN 21. Of humility and honouring God and how they are the fruits of faith Q. What diuine vertues are the speciall issues of faith A. Humility honour reuerence obedience patience loue feare repentance zeale hope and confidence Q. What is humility A. A diuine vertue or grace whereby wée wholly denie our selues and carrie our selues lowly before God and men Q. What is honour A. A diuine grace or vertue whereby we
discipline mentioned by Saint Paul are most necessarie exercises of religion yet cannot be so safely done nor so decently nor so effectually in publike as in priuate These parts are not to be acted on the stage but within the hangings He that actes these on the stage will haue the person of an hypocrite put vpon him for it Where was our Sauiour in his agonie but alone in Gethsemaine Where was hee transfigured in his prayer but on the holy Mount alone Moses his face shined after he came from his secret parlie with God and our soules shall shine with all spirituall graces if we haue often priuate conference with him by prayer but alwayes with due reuerence and preparation before PARAG. 2. Of Preparation Preparation to religious exercises is twofold 1 Extraordinarie as watching fasting and the like of which see the admonition for Ash-wednesday 2 Ordinary which consisteth in 1 Clensing our conscience from the guilt and staine of foule sinnes especially grosse actuall sins newly committed 2 Sequestring our thoughts from worldly cares businesses 3 Considering before hand what the RELIGIOVS worke is wee are about and how we ought to performe it and carrie our selues in it Moses put off his shooes and Dauid washed his hands before he drew neare to God The Iewes and Turkes at this day wash themselues before they enter their Temples and the ancient Pagans vsed many ablutions and lustrations before they durst come in sight of their faigned gods The vncleane Spirit in the Gospell had a cleane lodging and shall we entertaine the most pure and holy Spirit of God in an vncleane roome in our soules What Courtier presumeth to come into the Kings presence in stinking and nastie cloathes or with his hands and face all besmeared with dirt or spotted with inke How dare we then appeare before God with a foule and nastie conscience with a heart full of malice eyes full of adulterie hands full of the treasures of wickednesse mouthes full of deadly poyson of Aspes When wee haue defiled our eyes with vnchast lookes shall we presently cast them vp to heauen and confidently looke God in the face who is a God of most pure eyes and cannot endure the least spot of impuritie when we haue defiled our hands with bloud or vncleannesse or telling our vse money shall we presently lift them vp in supplication to God when wee haue defiled our tongues with corrupt and rotten communication shall we presently employ them in diuine prayer when we haue defiled our bodies with beastly lusts and wallowed in the mire of swinish pleasures shall wee presently present our selues as a sacrifice vnto God in priuate or publike deuotion God by his holy Prophet teacheth vs another lesson wash you make you cleane put away the euill of your doings from before mine eyes Cease to do euill learne to do well Come now let vs conferre and reason together Secondly he that will consecrate his thoughts and affections by priuate Deuotion vnto God must remoue and sequester them from earthly affaires and worldly negotiations For the cares of this life as they choake the seedes of the word so they stifle deuout meditation in the wombe that conceiueth them It is not more difficult to cast vp one eye to heauen and the other downe on the earth at the same instant then to fixe our cogitations and intentions at once on God and the world Holinesse in the Greeke implyeth a direct contradiction to earthlinesse Hagios is deriued from A the priuatiue particle and Ge signifying earth as if you would say vnearthlinesse God is a Spirit and cannot be otherwise seene of vs then in spirit Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God The soule of man is the glasse most truly representing Gods image If a glasse be furd or soyled with dust or dirt it reflecteth no shape or proportion aright but wipe the dust from the glasse and you shall see clearely So saith Saint Bernard rub thy glasse wipe away all dustie earthlinesse from thy mind and thou shalt see God in thy soule and conceiue cleare and diuine imaginations of him Thirdly he that desireth that God should haue respect to him and to his spirituall offerings must bee more readie to heare the wise man and looke to his foote then to make hast to offer the sacrifice of fooles What is it to offer the sacrifice of fooles but rashly and vnaduisedly not to bring and lay downe but to throw his gifts on Gods Altar without considering what he offereth or 〈◊〉 or to whom He that makes no more of prayers to God then of speaking with one of his companions nor of perusing inspired Scriptures then reading a peice of Aristotle or Liuie nor of participating of the blessed Sacrament then taking a morsell of bread or drinking a cup of wine can expect no blessing for the vse but rather ought to feare a curse for the abuse of these meanes of saluation These ordinances of God sanctifie not such but they rather prophane them Numa Pomphilius forbad any man vnder a great penaltie to salute his gods in the high way or to pray or bow or to do any reuerence to their temples or images as they walked by them in the streets and Wouer yeelds a reason of this law better then the law it selfe Diuine Maiestie sayes hee must not be sleighted holy duties must not bee suddenly slâ—bbered ouer but performed with reuerent regard 〈◊〉 religious cunctation or delay to frame and compose the mind vnto them But men haue forgotten the feare of the Lord euen in his presence and vnder his eye The holy name of God is made so common in mens mouthes and his dreadfull Maiestie so cheape in their estimamation that as they speake of him without reuerence so also they speake to him without aduised premeditation They are farre from Dauids modestie who went step by step and fetched a compasse to come to Gods altar I will wash my hands in innocencie and so I will compasse thine altar but these make but one step to it They suddenly and rudely rush vpon Almightie God neuer thinking that he is a consuming fire Augustus being inuited by a priuate Gentleman to his house entertained but slenderly below the maiestie of so great an Emperour in stead of thanking him gaue him a secret but smart checke for it I knew not said he before that we were such familiars But hath not the King of heauen and Monarke of the whole world more iust cause to censure in the like manner or more seuerely those among vs that seeme most forward to inuite and entertaine him who runne into his presence without shewing any reuerence speake vnto him without bowing their knee heare him in the Ministry of the Word without vncouering their heads participate of the dreadfull Mysteries as the Fathers call them of his
blessed Body and Blood sitting at the Communion as they doe at their ordinary table without expressing any thankfull humility or giuing testimony that they discerne the Lords body from common meat Is this to serue the Lord Christ with feare To reioyce vnto him with trembling To kisse the Sonne least hee be angry Nay to fall lowe before his footstoole because hee is holy But I will speake no more of Preparation to holy duties in generall least the preludium grow longer then the lesson I am now to prick The Preparation to Prayer PARAG. 1. My heart is indighting of a good matter my tongue is the penne of a ready writer saith the Kingly Prophet and againe My heart was hot within mee while I was musing the fire burned then spake I with my tongue If this sweete singer of Israel first pricked the notes in his heart before he began to sing them If he who was inspired by the holy Ghost framed his Prayers and Psalmes of thanksgiuing in his minde before hee deliuered them by his tongue ought not we who are as farre behinde him in his gifts as we are below him in condition much more meditate before we vtter any thing to the Lord I speake not of pious â—iaculations which must needs be suddaine as their occasions are and the motions of Gods Spirit within vs but of a set conceiued Prayer wherein we ought not onely well to ponder the matter but euen weigh if wee haue time euery word in the ballance that they bee not found too light and thereby our Prayers against sin be turned into sinne Bee not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hasty to vtter any thing before God Seneca obseruing how bold men made with God and what strange petitions they blushed not to preferre vnto him gaue this sage aduise So deale with men as if God saw thee and so speake with God as if men heard thee For many men vent such vncharitable enuious and malitious matters such confused and vndigested stuffe such impertinencies inconsequencies absurdities especially in their priuate extemporarie Prayers as they would be ashamed that any man of quality or vnderstanding should ouer heare them It would make a prophane man laugh but a Religious man weepe to listen and marke how sometimes they court Almighty God with idle complements sometimes they cast vp Prayers with strong lines to heauen hoping thereby to drawe downe a blessing from God sometimes they expostulate with God in a sawcie and sometimes pose him in a ridiculous manner Sometimes they discourse profoundly in their Prayer as if they meant in good earnest to teach Almighty God what hee ought to doe Sometimes they are too tedious cloying his eares with bablings and vaine repetitions and sometimes againe they are too briefe curtayling their Orisens and breaking off in the middest One while they fly too high and meddle with counsells of State and another while they fall too low and tell God a Homely houshould tale If they heare a strange Phrase or an affected straine of puf-past eloquence this they cull out carefully and insert into their garlands Peter Moulin iustly taxeth a Fryar for styling Christ the Dolphin of heauen and I thinke he as well deserueth blame who prayeth to God that he may march to heauen in perfect equipage or come vnto God not with the soales of his foot but the foot of his soule who layeth open before God his manifold defections infections imperfections his sinnes of an higher straine and deeper staine and commendeth to his gracious goodnesse al the Ministers of the Church by what titles soeuer they are signified or dignified Giue me leaue to tell these men in their owne language that this is playing not Praying and that in sending vp such prayers they burne not incense to God but incense him rather Or if they will not heare me let the graue high-Priest among the ancient Romans Schoole them as he did a Vestall whom he obserued to be too curious and neate about her work which was tending the holy fire Vergin doe your work holily rather then handsomely reuerently rather then trimly There are a sort of men in direct opposition to these who affect a kinde of Rhetorike which weedeth out all flowers of Rhetorike They can away with no Prayer or meditation which fauours of the lumpe though the oyle be sacred Nothing pleaseth them in this kinde but that which is spunne with an ouer course thread Coursnes to them is strength dulnes grauity drinesse iudgement leanenes health and pack-staffe plainnesse the euidence as they terme it of the Spirit and simplicity of the Gospell Well may they claime kindred with the old Aegyptians who as Herodotus and Straboreport temper morter with their hands and kneade their dow with their feete Right so these men in all other things like well of art and wit where the matter is vile and base but in the deliuery of heauenly conceptions vtterly abandon them But they should haue considered better that sharpnesse of wit and true eloquence are gifts of God and therefore best of all to bee employed in holy things as gold and siluer are best bestowed in adorning Gods house so it bee without superstition Was not fine linnen and blew silke and Scarlet of as good vse in the Arke as Camels haire Is not the Queene brought into the spirituall Salomans chamber in Vesture of gold wrought about with diuers colours Was not the holy oyle and precious oyntment made by Gods coÌ„mandement according to the art of the Apothecary Are there not in the Prophet Esay the Psalmes of Dauid and the Epistles of Saint Paul in the originall language and other parts of Scripture more exquisite peeces of Artt and streines of eloquence then are to be found in any other writings whatsoeuer If they are accursed who doe the worke of the Lord negligently certainly the more diligence we vse the more blessed our holy labours shall be For my part I am resolued with Dauid neuer to offer that to God which costeth mee nothing There remaine yet in some places some of the base sect of the Patttalorochita who place Religion in nosing their words and speaking to God in a harsh and vncouth sound and pronuntiation They will not cry but howle and bellow to him But these are so few in number and their error is so contemptible that I hold it scarce fit the naming and no way worthy the refuting I would there were no more left of the sect of the Pharisees who vnder colour of long Prayers 〈◊〉 widowes houses who persume their consâ—â—ing and corrupt dealing with the balme of Gâ—lead who make Religion and Deuotion a stalking horse to their ambition and auaritious purposes and ends O mercifull God how is thy patience abused How is thy Maiesty sleightned How is thy worship prophaned O what sinfull wretches are we who need a large pardon not onely for our profane
sheweth knowledge Psal. 19. 2. Let the Saints bee ioyfull in glory let them sing alowd vpon their beds Psal. 149. 5. Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleepe Psal. 121. 4. The Lord is my keeper the Lord is my shade on my right hand verse 5. The Sunne shall not smite me by day nor the Moone by night verse 6. The Lord shall preserue mee from all euill he shall preserue my soule verse 7. I will lay me downe in peace and take my rest for thou Lord makest mee dwell in safety Psal. 4. 9. Lighten mine eyes that I sleepe not the sleepe of Death Psal. 13. 3. With thee is the fountaine of life In thy light shall I see light Psal. 36. 9. Thou wilt light my candle and wilt make my darknesse to be light Psal. 18. 28. A Prayer for the Euening GLorious Creator eternall infinite and incomprehensible God whose face obscureth the Sunne and darkeneth the Moone and shadoweth the Starres and dazeleth the eyes of the Cherubims to whom the light it selfe if it be compared is but a darke shadow and the darkenesse is no darkenesse but the darkenesse and light to thee are both alike Enlighten the darkenesse of mine vnderstanding that I wander not in the night of errour and ignorance but continually walke as becommeth the childe of the day in the light of thy truth and the wayes of thy Commandements And though the Sunne hath withdrawne his comfortable light from my bodily eyes yet let the light of thy countenance and the bright beames of thy fauour still shine vpon my soule in the middest of thickest darkenesse and the shadow of death Saue me ô Father of lights from the powers of darkenesse Receiue me into thy gracious tuition and giue thine holy Angels charge to pitch their tents about me that being secured on euery side from all dangers and feare I may quietly rest in thee in whom I liue and moue And whilest my bodily sences are surprized with sleepe keepe my soule still awake that I may be alwayes readie to meete the Bridegroome with my lampe in my hand Let the last trump sound shrill in mine eares to driue away from me the spirit of slumber and carnall securitie O thou the keeper of thine Israel who doest neuer slumber nor sleepe watch ouer me this night Behold into thy hands I commend my soule and bodie and all things else wherewith thou hast blessed me being assured that the thing cannot perish thou vouchsafest to take into thy custodie Grant me I beseech thee safe quiet and comfortable rest voyde of cares feares free from distempers and diseases as also all dangers dreames fancies pollutions and temptations And make it I pray thee as profitable to my soule as it is necessarie to my bodie that it may not onely refresh strengthen my bodie to the better performance of my daily labours and trauels in my calling but also settle and quiet my soule in the remembrance and continuall expectation of that sweete repose and blessed rest which they enioy that die in thee Let my sleepe put mee in minde of my death my bed of my graue my lying downe of my buriall my vncloathing of putting off this tabernacle of flesh my rising againe of my resurrection my apparelling of putting on the Lord Iesu. Like as the night couereth and hideth all things from the eyes of men so let thy mercy couer and hide my sinnes that they neuer come to light either to confound mee in this life or condemne me in the life to come Finally as it is the nature of sleepe to tye the outward senses and make fast and shut vp the organs of my body so let thy grace restraine my inward senses and barre vp all the passages of my soule that the diuell may finde no place to enter into me Close vp the eyes of my minde that they behold not vanitie stop my eares that they heare not follie and my spirituall smell that it let not in the sauour of death Set a watch before my mouth and seale vp the closet of my heart that nothing enter into the one or go out at the other that may defile me Thus keepe me and guard me from my bodily and ghostly enemies this night and as long as I abide in the darke prison of my bodie and when thou deliuerest me out of it by death make me partaker of the glorious inheritance of thy Saints in light in the heauenly Ierusalem which needeth neither Sunne nor Moone nor Starres to shine in it for the glorie of God enlighteneth it and the Lambe is the light thereof To whom with the euerlasting Father and most sacred blessed Spirit be rendred thankes and praise now and for euer Amen The close out of Scripture Remember me ô Lord with the fauour thou bearest thy people ô visite me with thy saluation that I may see the felicitie of thy chosen and reioyce in the gladnesse of thy people and glorie with thine inheritance THE CHRISTIAN Sabbaths or Lords dayes Deuotion Thou who intendest to sanctifie the Christian Sabbath to thy Creator and Redeemer must aduisedly consider that the fourth Commandement which enioyneth this dutie with a speciall Memento hath in it somewhat 1 Ceremoniall not now in force as 1 Keeping the precise seauenth day on which God rested 2 The strict rest according to the rigour of the letter 3 The legall manner of hallowing it by sacrifices and ceremoniall rites 2 Morall now and for euer in force as 1 The dedicating of a certaine day to the true and essentiall worship of God 2 The keeping holy of a seauenth day i.e. one at the least in seauen 3 The hallowing that day of the seauen which God appointeth that was Vnder the Law the seauenth from the Creation Vnder grace now the first day of the weeke See the ensuing Admonition THE ADMONITION for the Sabbath THE ANALYSIS To stirre vp thy selfe to sanctifie the Christian Sabbath meditate vpon 1 GOD 1 The Father his Precepts for it Promises to it 2 The Sonne his resurrection on this day 3 The holy Ghost his comming downe on this day 2 The Apostle's guided by the Spirit Iniunction Practise For the hallowing the Christian Sabbath REmember the Sabbath day to keepe it holy sixe dayes shalt thou labour c. Exodus 2◠8. Yee shall keepe the Sabbath therefore for it is holy vnto you Euery one that despiseth it shall be surely put to death Exodus 31. 14. Ye shall keepe my Sabbath and reuerence my Sanctuarie I am the Lord. Leuit. 26. 2. Hallow my Sabbaths and they shall bee as signes betweene me and you that ye may know that I am the Lord your God Eze. 20. 20. Blessed is the man that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting and keepeth his hands from doing any euill Isaiah 56. 2. If thou turne away thy soote from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on the Holy-day and call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the
Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine owne wayes nor finding thine owne pleasure nor speaking thine owne words Isa. 58. 13. Then shalt thou delight thy selfe in the Lord and I will cause thee to ride vpon the high places of the earth and feede thee with the heritage of Iacob thy father for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it ver 14. When the first day of the weeke began Marie Magdalen and the other Marie came to the sepulcher Math. 28. 1. Marke 16. 1. Iohn 20. 1. And behold there was a great earth-quake for the Angell of the Lord descended from heauen and rolled backe the stone from the doore and sate vpon it Math. 28. 2. And the Angell answered and said to the woman Feare yee not for I know that ye seeke Iesus that was crucified Math. 28. 6. He is not here for he is risen ver 7. And when the day of Pentecost was come they were all with one accord in one place Acts 2. 1. And suddenly there came a sound from heauen as of a rushing mightie wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting ver 2. And they were all filled with the holy Ghost and began to speake with other tongues as the Spirit gaue them vtterance ver 4. Euery first day of the weeke let euerie one lay aside as God hath prospered him c. 1. Corinth 16. 2. And the first day of the weeke the disciples being met together to breake bread Paul preached vnto them Acts 20. 7. And I was in the spirit on the Lords day and heard behind me a great voice as it had bene of a trumpet Reu. 1. 10. THE MORNING HYMNE for the Sabbath or the Lords day Wherein the deuout soule expresseth her performance at least in desire of all holy duties requisite on the Sabbath which are 1 Priuate as a 1. Premeditation b 2. Early rising or watchfulnesse c 3. The soules examination of her selfe d 4. Prayer at home consisting of 1. Confession of sinne e Originall f Actuall g 2. Profession of faith 3. Supplication for h 1. The Church i 2. The King k 3. The Minister l 4. Our selues 2 Publike as m 1. Going to the Church n 2. Ioyning in publike prayers and thankesgiuing with the congregation o 3. Hearing the word p 4. Contributing to the poore a I haue thought vpon thy Name in the night season and haue kept thy Law Psal. 119. 55. b Early in the morning do I cry vnto thee for in thy word is my trust ver 147. c I called mine owne wayes to remembrance and turned my foote to thy testimonies ver 59. d I will make my supplication in thy presence with my whole heart be mercifull vnto me according to thy word ver 58. e Behold I was borne in iniquitie and in sin hath my mother conceiued me Psal. 51. 3. f Who can tell how oft hee offendeth O cleanse thou mee from my secret faults Psal. 19. 12. g I said I will confesse my sin and so thou forgauest the wickednesse of my sinne Psal. 32. 6. h O be fauourable and gracious vnto Sion build thou the walls of Ierusalem Psal. 51. 19. Thou shalt arise ô Lord and haue mercie vpon Sion for it is time that thou haue mercie vppon her yea the time is come Psal. 102. 13. For why thy seruants thinke vpon her stones and it grieueth them to see her in the dust ver 14. i Giue the King thy iudgements ô Lord and thy righteousnesse to the Kings sonne Psal. 72. 1. Then shall hee iudge the people according vnto right and defend the poore ver 2. Hee shall keepe the simple by the right and punish the wrong doer ver 4. k Let thy Priests be cloathed with righteousnesse and let thy Saints sing with ioyfulnesse Psal. 132. 9. l O send out thy light and thy truth that they may leade mee and bring mee to thy holy hill and to thy dwelling Psal. 43. 3. m I was glad when they said vnto me Let vs go into the house of the Lord. Open me the gates of righteousnesse that I may go in and giue thanks to the Lord. Psal. 118. 19. n O magnifie the Lord our God and let vs fall downe before his footestoole for he is holy Psal. 99. 5. o The Lord gaue the word great was the companie of the Preachers Psal. 68. 11. I will hearken what the Lord God will say concerning me for hee shall speake peace vnto his people and to his Saints that they turne not againe Psal. 85. 8. For his saluation is nigh them that feare him that glorie may dwell in our land ver 9. p O my soule thou hast said vnto the Lord Thou art my God my goods are nothing vnto thee Psal. 16. 2. All my delight is vpon the Saints and such as excell in vertue ver 3. An offering of a free heart will I giue thee and praise thy name because it is so comfortable Psal. 58. 7. A Prayer for the Sabbath Morning BLessed Creator and Author and finisher of the saluation of man-kind who in memorie of thy glorious rest from both thy noble workes hast blessed and sanctified a day of holy rest vnto thy selfe sanctifie me for it that laying aside my accustomed businesse and sequestring my thoughts from all worldly cares I may keepe it and my selfe holy to thee by dedicating it and deuoting my selfe wholly to thy peculiar worship and immediate seruice And to the end that this my religious seruice may bee more acceptable to thee quicken me with thy Spirit that I may performe it with all alacritie and chearefulnesse and may make thy Sabbath my delight Touch my heart and tongue with a coale from thine Altar that from the sweet incense of my meditations hymnes prayers and thanksgiuing thou mayest smell a sauour of rest O holy Lord God of Sabbath sanctifie thy rest vnto me let thy Spirit rest in me that I may find rest to my soule from all tentations troubles and feares and may rest from my owne workes which are painefull and sinfull trauels and may employ this day all the powers and faculties of my soule and bodie in doing and considering thy workes in adoring thy Maiestie and admiring thy wisdome and acknowledgeing thy power and embracing thy loue and magnifying thy goodnesse and reioycing in thy mercies trembling at thy iudgements In visiting thy holy Temple and praising thee with thy Saints and offering vp the calues of my lips In diligently reading thy Scriptures attentiuely hearing thy word reuerently celebrating thy mysteries charitably relieuing thy members and zealously practising all holy duties both publike and priuate O let me this whole day walke with thee as Enoch did and talke with thee as Moses did and seeke thy face as Dauid did And grant that beholding thine image in thine holy word as in a cleare and cristall mirrour I may bee changed into the same image euen from glorie to glorie Let this Sabbath put
it may be night wherein all the beasts of the Forrest doe moue ver 20. The Sunne ariseth and they get them away together and lay them downe in their dens ver 22. Man goeth forth vnto his worke and to his labour vntill the Euening ver 23. O Lord our Gouernour how excellent is thy Name in all the world Psal. 8. 9. The Admonition for Wednesday Euening being an Exhortation to purity in heart answerable to the sixth Beatitude THE ANALYSIS Purity especially in heart is to bee prayed for and sought after in regard of God his 1. Speciall command for it 2. Particular taking notice of it 3. High esteeme and approbation thereof 4. Gracious promises to it of 1 Life 2 Fauor of Kings 3 Sight of himselfe 4 His fauour and bounty 5 Profit by the Word 6 Abode in Heauen THE TEXTS NOw therefore serue the Lord and serue him in sinceritie of heart and in truth Ios. 24. 14. Prepare your hearts vnto the Lord and serue him onely 1. Sam. 7. 3. They that are of a forward heart are an abomination to the Lord but such as are vpright in the way are his delight Prou. 11. 20. My sonne giue mee thy heart and let thine eyes obserue my wayes Pro. 23. 26. Cleanse your hands yee sinners and purge your hearts yee double-minded Iam. 4. 8. Serue God with a perfect heart and with a willing minde for the Lord searcheth all hearts and vnderstandeth all imaginations of the thoughts 1. Chron. 28. 9. O Ierusalem wash thine heart Ier 4. 4. God seeth not as man seeth for man looketh on the outward appearance but God iudgeth the heart 1. Sam. 16. 7. Thou knowest the hearts of all men Acts 1. He will lighten things hid in darknesse and make the counsels of thy heart manifest 1. Cor. 4. 5. Thou louest truth in the inward parts Psal. 51. 6. Wee speake not as pleasing men but as pleasing God who tryeth the hearts 2. Thes. 2. 4. Let it bee the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible the ornament of a meeke and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price 1. Per. 3. 4. Keepe the heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life Prou. 4. 23. Hee that loueth purenesse in heart the King shall be his friend Prou. 22. 11. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Math. 5. 8. Truely God is good vnto Israel euen to him that is of a cleane heart Psal. 73. 1. That which fell on good ground are they which with an honest and good heart heare the Word and keepe it and bring forth fruits with patience Luke 18. 15. Who shall ascend into the Hill of the Lord or who shall stand in his Holy place Psal. 24. 3. He that hath cleane hands and a pure heart verse 4. Hee that walketh vprightly and speaketh vprightly c. Isai. 33. 15. He shall dwell on high c. The Prayer for Wednesday-Euening Composed of 1 Petitions sutable to the sufferings of Christ on this day 2 Motiues to perswade purity in heart and sincerity agreeable to the precedent exhortation MOst holy blessed and glorious God who dwellest in light which none may approach I miserable and sinfull creature by nature a child of the night and of darknesse nay very darknesse it selfe am ashamed and confounded to lift vp mine eyes to heauen or looke towards the place where thine honour dwelleth For I haue sinned against heauen and against thee and deserue to be cast out for euer from the sight of thy face and presence of thy glorious Maiestie into vtter darknesse which the diuel the Prince of darknesse and his Angels that are reserued in chaines of darknesse till the great and terrible Day of thy wrath For that heauenly light which thou hast kindled in my heart though I seeke to smother it neuer so much clearely conuinceth my conscience that I preferre the pleasures of sinne which are the workes of darknesse before the glorious inheritance of thy Saints in light hauing my very vnderstanding the onely light which is in me much darkened through the ignorance that is in me by reason of the hardnesse of my heart And notwithstanding thou hast called mee early and late and stretched thy hands all the day long vnto mee yet I haue walked still in the vanitie of my minde and wearied my selfe in the wayes of wickednesse and haue not hearkened to thy voice whereby I might walke in thy lawes which thou hast appointed for me Or if for a short time I haue reioyced in the light of the Gospel yet soone after I haue quenched thy Spirt and haue giuen my selfe to wantonnesse to worke filthinesse with greedinesse Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified Though thou shouldest drowne all my former sinnes in the bottomelesse sea of thy mercy yet the sins of this day alone giue sufficient euidence against mee to condemne mee My vnsanctified desires and impure thoughts and vaine imaginations and idle words and vnfruitfull workes make mee vnexcusable before thee I cannot answer for my abuse of the creatures mis-spending my time which is most precious ouerstipping many occasions of doing good How negligent haue I beene in the duties of my calling How cold and dull in my exercises of Religion How defectiue in the confession of my sinnes How carelesse in applying the soueraigne remedies of the Word My very prayers which I make vnto thee for the supplying of all my wants and healing of all my infirmities are accompanied with so many wants and infirmities that I haue neede to aske pardon for these my imperfect prayers Lord giue mee a sense of my stupidity and senselesnesse and a feruent desire of more feruency and zeale and true remorse and sorrow for want of remorse and sorrow for these my sinnes And because that I know not how to pray as I ought let thy Spirit make intercession for me with sighs and grones which cannot be expressed and let the bloud of thy Sonne speake better things for mee then the bloud of Abel O let not the glorious light of Heauen goe downe vpon thy displeasure against me but for thy decre Sonne Iesus Christ his sake who is the prâ—pitiation for my sinnes be reconciled vnto mee while it is called to day that I may finde rest vnto my soule this night together with the comfortable refreshing of my body by sleepe So shall I neuer cease with a ioyfull heart and a cheerefull voice to praise thee for thine vnspeakable loue in electing me to eternall life in Heauen before thou hadst laid the foundations of the earth Thy goodnesse in creating mee after thine owne Image thy mercy in redeeming mee with the bloud of thine onely begotton Sonne thy grace in calling mee to the knowledge of thy truth and thy fatherly care in safely protecting me mercifully
Lord in the depth of thy Wisdome finde meanes to helpe my ignorance in the depth of thy goodnesse to ouercome my wickednesse in the depth of thy mercy to relieue my misery Inlighten mine vnderstanding that I may know mine ignorance rectifie my will that I may detest my wickednesse and mollifie my heart that I may bewaile my misery and by faith incorporate me into thy Sonne Iesus Christ that I may be partaker of his knowledge righteousnesse and happinesse As he made my ignorance his ignorance and my sinne his sinne and my misery his misery by taking vpon him my guilt and satisfying for my punishment so make thou I beseech thee his Wisdome my instruction his Righteousnes my sanctification and his Glory my happinesse Consider mee I beseech thee not as I am in my selfe defiled but as I am in him washed not as I am in my selfe naked but as I am in him clothed not as I am in my selfe wounded but as I am in him healed not as in my selfe a childe of wrath but as in him reconciled and at peace with thee And hauing my peace made with thee by his chastisement grant that I may haue peace as farre as it is possible with all men especially with all the children of peace Let mee euer remember and consider that thou my Father art the God of peace and thy Sonne my Sauiour the Prince of peace and his Law the Gospell of peace and his Seruants the Children of peace whose duty is the study of peace and the marke they principally aime at as the end of their faith the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding O let mee striue and contend against strife and contention as a thing most hatefull to thee hurtfull to my neighbour and most of all preiudiciall to my selfe by endangering my person and state disturbing the quietnesse of my minde hindring me in the prosecution of my businesse and which is worst of all making me indisposed and altogether vnfit for the performance of diuine duties Teach me of what spirit I am or should be euen of that which descended vpon thy Sonne in the likenesse of a Doue without Gall By this spirit mortifie in me the lusts and affections of the flesh as enuy wrath reuenge and the like By the still voice in which thou spakest to Elias let mee learne that thou art not in the fire of my rage nor in the storme of my passion but in the saft gale of grace Lord who on this day replenishedst the Sea and Riuers with fish and Aire with Fowles in shapes admirably various and in number almost infinite stir me vp by the consideration thereof to admire thy power wisdome in thus storing and as it were peopling this vaste and fearefull seeming solitude and much more to magnifie thy goodnesse in thus richly and daintily furnishing the tables of men Blessed Lord who this day madest the waters fruitfull let thy Spirit moue vpon the waters of my teares that they may abound in the fruits of repentance and bee blessed in the encrease of spirituall consolatious Lord who this day commandest the Fowles to flye through the aire lift vp my soule from the earth with the wings of faith and hope that she may flye vp towards Heauen Make mee light and cheerefull after my heauy sorrowes and grieuous afflictions that though I haue beene as blacke and sad in my heart and countenance as if I had layen among the pots yet I may be by the grace of thy Spirit which descended in the likenesse of a Doue like that Doue whose wings are siluer and her feathers like gold So be it Amen The close out of Scripture God grant that my loue may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement Phil. 1 9. That I may discerne things that differ one from another that I may be pure and without offence vntill the day of Christ ver 10. Filled with the fruits of righteousnesse which are by Iesus Chirst vnto the glory and praise of God ver 11. The Deuotion for Thursday Euening THE HYMNE Wherein the deuout soule expresseth her desire of prayer for peace Publike Priuate THE TEXTS BEhold how good and pleasant a thing it is brethren to dwel together in vnity Ps. 133. 1. It is like the precious Ointment vpon the head that ranne downe vpon the Beard euen Aarons Beard and went downe to the skirts of his clothing v. 2. As the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended vpon the Mountaine of Sion for there the Lord promiseth his blessings and life for euermore ver 3. Woe is me that I am constrained to dwell with Meseck and to haue my habitation in the tents of Kedar Psal. 120. 4. My soule hath long dwelt among them that be enemies vnto peace ver 5. I labour for peace but when I speake to them therof they make themselues ready to battaile v. 6. Pray for the peace of Ierusalem they shall prosper that loue thee Psal. 122 6. Peace be within thy walls and prosperity within thy Palaces ver 7. For my brethren and companions sake I will now say Peace be within thee ver 8. Because of the house of the Lord my God I will seeke thy good ver 9. The Admonition for Thursday Euening being an Exhortation to Patience the eightth BEATITVDE THE ANALYSIS All true Christians must valiantly and cheerfully endure troubles for the Gospell in respect of 1 God his Will. Power Ordinance 2 Christ his Loue. Example Sympathy with vs. 3 The Saints Practice Encouragement 4 The enemies Conuersion or Conuiction 5 Our selues who therby receiue 1 Tryall 2 Ioy. 3 Assurance of God's loue 4 Quiet fruit of Righteousnes 5 Holinesse and perfection 6 Life 7 Protection 8 Honor before God 9 Inestimable rewards 1 In this life 2 In the life to come THE TEXTS IN the world ye shall haue afflictions Iob 6. 33. I was dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou Lord hadst done it Psal. 39. 9. Let them that suffer according to the Will of God commit their soules to him in well doing as their faithfull Creator 1 Pet. 4. vlt. Who hath euer resisted his Will Rom. 9. 19. He is able to subdue all things to himselfe Phil. 3. 21. We must through many afflictions enter into the Kingdome of God Act. 14. 22. All that liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecutions 2 Tim. 3. 12. Thou therefore endure hardnesse as a good Souldier of Iesus Christ 1 Tim. 2. 3. You shal be hated of all men for my Names sake Luke 21. 17. The loue of Christ constraineth vs because wee thus iudge that if One dyed for all then all were dead 2 Cor. 5. 14. Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or distresse or persecution or famine or sword Rom. 8. 35. Nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus